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Hem^y  Bradley  Plant. 


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THE    LIFE   OF 


HENRY   BRADLEY   PLANT 


FOUNDER  AND  PRESIDENT  OF   THE  PLANT  SYSTEM 

OF  RAILROADS   AND   STEAMSHIPS  AND  ALSO 

OF  THE  SOUTHERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY 


G.  HUTCHINSON  SMYTH,  D.D. 


THE. 


f   uNW£?^SiTY 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S   SONS 

NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 

Zbc  Iknickerbocfter  ipress 


Copyright,  1898 

BY 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 
Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall,  London 


Ube  lltnfcherbocher  press,  1Rcw  Eoth 


PREFACE. 

IF  it  be  asked  why  another  biography  is  added  to 
the  almost  endless  number  now  in  our  book- 
stores and  libraries,  an  answer  is  found  in  the  count- 
less distinctions  of  individual  character,  and  in  the 
varied  experiences  which  come  to  men  in  different 
walks  of  life.  The  botanist  says  that  of  all  leaves 
in  the  forests  of  the  world,  no  two  can  be  found 
alike  in  every  particular.  The  phrenologist  says 
the  same  of  the  various  forms  of  the  human  head, 
and  the  psychologist  affirms  it  of  the  intellects  and 
dispositions  of  men  and  women.  Hence  each  life 
has  its  own  peculiar  experience  to  record  for  the 
pleasure  or  profit  of  others. 

Biography  is  the  most  universally  interesting 
and  instructive  branch  of  literature;  hence  the 
power  of  the  novel  and  drama,  which  are  merely 
biographies  pictured  and  acted  before  us.  A  study 
of  history  shows  that  the  nations'  great  movements 
are  the  work  of  individual  men  and  women.  In  il- 
lustration of  this  fact  it  is  needful  to  mention  such 


il/  Vj.  »_y  (.5  I 


iv  Preface 

names  only  as  Abraham,  Joseph,  Esther,  Joan   of 
Arc,  Napoleon,  and  Washington. 

The  commercial  and  industrial  occupations  from 
which  a  nation  now  derives  its  strength  should  be 
honored  as  truly  as  the  military  exploit,  or  the  sci- 
entific achievement.  The  record  of  a  noble  life 
which,  in  its  sphere  of  quiet  duty,  has  accomplished 
much  for  the  good  of  others,  is  a  lesson  in  patiiot- 
ism  and  a  legacy  to  posterity.  The  best  period  of 
the  history  of  the  Cotton  States  could  only  be  writ- 
ten by  taking  into  account  the  share  which  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography  has  had  in  their  development. 

It  is  rare  to  find  a  man  who  has  had  dealings  with 
so  many  of  his  fellows,  and  who,  at  the  same  time, 
has  won  the  esteem  and  aifection  of  his  associates 
and  employes,  as  has  Heniy  Bradley  Plant  in  every 
department  of  his  great  railroad  system. 

The  writing  of  this  biography  is  undertaken  in 
the  belief  that  there  are  many  general  readers  to 
whom  the  record  of  such  a  life  will  be  as  welcome 
as  it  must  be  to  those  to  whom,  in  his  manifold  ac- 
tivities, he  has  proved  a  benefactor  and  a  friend. 

G.  H.  S. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

The  Plant  Family— Birth  of  Henry  Bradley  Plant— Mr,  Plant's 
Parents — Ancestors  Came  from  England  in  1639 — David 
Plant  Occupied  Many  Positions  of  Honor  and  Trust— A. 
P.  Plant's  Successful  Business  Career — H.  B.  Plant  on  his 
Mother's  Side  is  Descended  from  Joseph  Frisbee,  a  Major 
in  Washington's  Army — Reverend  Levi  Frisbee,  Father  of 
Professor  Levi  Frisbee  of  Harvard  College— Connection 
with  Sir  William  Pepperell,  Bart. — The  Historian  of  the 
Frisbee  Family — Richard  of  the  Second  Generation  Went 
from  Virginia  to  Connecticut,  and  Settled  at  Branford,  1644 
— Sketch  of  Oliver  Libby  Frisbee,  Historian  of  his  Family — 
Senator  Hoar's  Relations  to  the  Frisbee  Family — Frisbee 
Patriotism  and  Services  to  their  Country — They  Were  Good, 
Church-going  People,  mostly  of  the  Puritan  Belief — Proba- 
bihty  that  the  Frisbees  Came  from  Wales      .        .        .  1-14 

CHAPTER  II. 

Branford,  Connecticut,  Purchased  by  the  New  Haven  Colonists 
from  the  Totokett  Indians  in  1638 — First  Settlements  Were 
Made  in  1644 — First  Church  of  Logs  Surrounded  by  Stockade 
to  Protect  from  Indians— Guards  at  the  Gate  during  Service 
— Church  and  Town  Records  Preserved  at  Branford — John 
Plum,  the  First  Town  Clerk— Style  of  the  Second  Church 
Building  and  Character  of  its  Services— Rev.  Timothy  Gillett 
its  Pastor — He  Taught  an  Academy  in  Addition  to  his 
Pastoral  Work— Prominent  Families  of  Branford — Intelli- 
gent Character  of  the  People — De  Tocqueville's  High  Esti- 
mate of  this  "  Leetle  State  "—Branford  in  1779      .        .        15-23 


vi  Contents 

CHAPTER  III. 

PAGE 

The  Blackstone  Family— The  Ancestor  Came  from  England  be- 
fore 1630— His  Name  Was  William  Blaxton— Settled  first 
in  Massachusetts,  afterwards  Went  to  Rhode  Island— His 
Beautiful  Character  and  Numerous  Descendants— Origin 
of  Yale  College  of  Branford— The  Blackstone  Memorial 
Library 23-34 

CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Plants  Came  from  England  to  Branford,  between  Two 
Hundred  and  Three  Hundred  Years  ago — Still  Own  the 
Lands  first  Acquired— Henry's  Father  Died  of  Typhus 
Fever  when  Henry  Was  about  Six  Years  Old — His  Tender 
Recollection  of  his  Mother— Henry's  First  Day  at  School— 
His  Natural  Diffidence— Mr.  Plant's  After-dinner  Speeches 
— His  Mother's  Second  Marriage— Stepfather  Kind  to  Henry 
— Thrown  by  a  Plough  Horse  and  nearly  Killed — Attended 
School  at  Branford— Engaged  on  Steamboat  Line  Running 
between  New  Haven  and  New  York— On  Leaving,  Promised 
a  Captaincy — Marriage — Express  Business — Leaves  New 
Haven  and  Goes  to  New  York— Romantic  Experience  in 
Florida 35-50 

CHAPTER  V. 

Mr.  Plant  Goes  from  New  Haven  to  New  York — Captain  Stone's 
Friendship— Mrs.  Plant's  Health  Fails  again— Returns  to  the 
South— Is  Appointed  Superintendent  of  Adams  Express 
Company — His  Great  Executive  Abihty — The  Civil  War — 
Mrs.  Plant's  Death— Mr.  Plant  Buys  out  the  Adams  Express 
Company 51-55 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Relations  to  the  Confederate  Government — Jefferson  Davis 
Gives  him  Charge  of  Confederate  Funds — Mr.  Plant  Buys  a 
Slave,  who  afterward  Nursed  him  through  a  Severe  Sickness 
— Impaired  Health— Goes  to  Bermuda,  New  York,  Canada, 
and  Europe — Second  Marriage 56-67 


Contents  vii 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PACK 

Education  from  Books  and  from  Experience — Keen  Intuitions 
— Abreast  of  the  Progress— Mr.  Plant's  After-dinner  Speech 
at  Tampa  Banquet  Given  him  by  Tampa  Board  of  Trade, 
March  18,  1886 — Location  of  Tampa — In  Territorial  Days 
Had  a  Military  Reservation — In  1884  Population  about  Seven 
Hundred — Its  Cosmopolitan  Population  now — Many  Cubans 
and  Spaniards  in  Tampa — Tobacco  Industry — Phosphate 
Abounds  in  this  Part  of  the  State — Much  of  it  Shipped  to 
the  North  and  to  Europe — Plant  System  Gives  Impetus  to 
the  Prosperity  of  the  Place— Its  Progress  the  Last  Five  or 
Six  Years 68-86 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Florida  Mr.  Plant's  Hobby — Banquet  at  Ocala — Mr.  Plant's 
Speech — Sail  on  Lakes  Harrison  and  Griffin — Banquet  at 
Leesburg — Visit  to  Eustis — Cheering  "Words  to  a  Young 
Editor — Make  the  Best  of  the  Frost — It  may  be  a  Blessing 
in  Disguise — Must  Cultivate  Other  Fruits  (and  Cereals)  be- 
sides Oranges — Importance  of  Honesty — Sense  of  Justice — 
Consideration  for  the  Workmen — Unconscious  Moulding- 
Power  over  Associates  and  Employees— Letter  of  Honorable 
Eufus  B.  BuUock 87-101 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Mr.  Plant's  Industry  and  Power  to  Endure  Continuous  Strain — 
Labor  of  Examining  and  Answering  his  Enormous  Mail — 
Letter  from  Japan — Mail  Delivered  Regularly  to  him  at 
Home  and  Abroad — His  Private  Car,  its  Style,  Structure, 
HospitaUty,  and  Cheering  Presence— Numerous  Calls — The 
Secret  of  his  Endurance — The  Esteem  and  Love  of  the 
Southern  Express  Company  for  its  President — Mr.  Plant 
Enjoys  Social  Life — He  is  a  Great  Lover  of  almost  all  Kinds 
of  Music— Mr.  Plant  a  Medical  Benefactor — Some  of  the 
Progress  Made  in  the  Healing  Art— Bishop  of  Winchester's 
High  Estimate  of  the  Value  of  Health— Dr.  Long's  Opinion 
of  the  Gulf  Coast  as  a  Health  Restorer — Unrecognized  Medi- 


viii  Contents 


cines  in  Restoring  Lost  Health— Nervousness  among  the 
American  People— The  Soothing  and  Strengthening  Eflfect 
of  Florida  Climate— Mr.  Plant's  Part  in  Facilitating  Travel 
and  Providing  Cojnfortable  Accommodations  for  the  In- 
vaUd  102-116 


CHAPTER  X. 

Reason  for  Submitting  Press  Sketches  of  Mr.  Plant — Descrip- 
tive America,  December,  1886 — City  Items,  December,  1886 
— Railroad  Topics — Home  Journal,  New  York,  March,  1896 
— F.  G.  De  Fontain  in  same  Journal — Ocala  Evening  Times, 
June,  1896— JS'.rpress  Gazette       .        .  ...     117-140 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Mr.  Plant's  Close  and  Constant  Contact  with  the  Great  System 
as  Seen  in  the  Following  Letters— Letter  Written  on  Board 
the  Steamer  Comal — Letters  on  Trip  to  Jamaica,  West 
Indies,  March  15,  1893,  and  Published  in  the  Home  Jour- 
nal           141-149 


CHAPTER  Xn. 

MANAGEMENT    OF   THE    GREAT    PLANT    SYSTEM 

WORTHY   OF   ADMIRATION    AND    IMITATION  .     150-156 


CHAPTER  XHI. 

Plant  Day  at  the  Cotton  States  and  International  Exposition  of 
1895  at  Atlanta,  Georgia— Preparations  for  its  Celebration 
— Impressive  Observances  of  Mr.  Plant's  Birthday  at  the 
Aragon  Hotel— Mr.  Plant's  Remarks  in  Acknowledging 
Presentation  of  Gifts 157-183 


Contents  ix 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

PAGE 

Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  One  of  the  Modern  Wonders  of  the  World 
—Its  Architecture,  Furniture,  Works  of  Art,  Decorations, 
Tapestries,  Paintings,  Inlaid  Table  and  Three  Ebony  and 
Gold  Cabinets  from  the  Tuileries,  a  Sofa  and  Two  Chairs 
once  Owned  by  Marie  Antoinette— The  Dream  of  De  Soto 
Reahzed— A  Palace  of  Art  for  the  Delight  and  Joy  of  Those 
who  are  in  Health,  and  an  Elysium  for  the  Sad  and  Sor- 
rowful              183-203 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Programme  of  Plant  Day  Ceremonies— Ringing  of  the  Liberty 
Bell— Presentation  of  Addresses  to  Mr.  Plant  in  the  Great 
Auditorium— His  Reply— Resolutions  from  the  Different 
Departments  of  the  System,  from  the  Savannah  Board  of 
Trade,  etc.— Mr.  Morton  F.  Plant's  Acknowledgments  .    204-226 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Banquet  at  the  Aragon  Hotel  Ends  the  Festivities  of  the  Day- 
Sketch  of  the  Southern  Express  Company— Distinguished 
Callers  on  President  Plant  during  the  Day— Many  Tele- 
grams and  Letters  of  Congratulation  Received— Many 
Press  Notices  of  the  Day,  and  many  Tributes  of  Respect  and 
Esteem  for  him  who  Called  it  forth        ....     227-263 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Some  Changes  that  have  Taken  Place  in  the  Configuration  of 
the  Globe— Islands  Born  and  Buried— French  Revolution- 
Napoleon's  Influence  on  Europe— England's  Long  Wars 
—Barbarous  Treatment  of  Prisoners— Slavery  AboUshed — 
English  Profanity  and  Intemperance — Temperance  Move- 
ments— Duelling — Penny  Postage— Expansion  of  the  Press 
— Canals,  Erie  and  Suez — Railroads  in  England  and  the 
United  States— First  Steamer  to  Cross  the  Atlantic— First 
Steamship  Line 264-278 


Contents 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

PAGE 

Railroads  Established— Engineering  Progress— Steel,  Iron  Steam- 
ships—Horse Railroad— Kerosene  Oil  in  Use  1830— Sewing 
Machines  —  Agricultural  Implements  1831-51  —  Sanitary 
Progress— Philanthropic  and  Christian  Progress— Higher 
Education— Medical  Progress— Humane  Care  of  the  Insane 
—Sailors'  and  Seamen's  Home— World's  Fairs— Rehgious 
Reciprocity— Arbitration— Numerous  Inventions  and  Dis- 
coveries— Henry  B.  Plant  in  War  and  in  Peace — Testimo- 
nial Presented  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plant  on  the  Twenty-fifth 
Anniversary  of  their  Wedding 279-306 

Plant  Genealogy 307-337 

339-344 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 

The  author  takes  pleasure  in  acknowledging  his  indebted- 
ness to  many  of  the  Southern  Express  and  "Plant  System" 
officials  for  their  prompt  and  valuable  assistance  in  the 
preparation  of  a  biography  of  their  able  and  esteemed 
President.  Chief  among  those  to  whom  thanks  are  due 
may  be  mentioned  Messrs.  A.  P.  C.  Ryan,  M.  J.  O'  Brien, 
D.  F.  Jack,  B.  W.  Wrenn,  and  G.  H.  Tilley.  The  last 
named  furnished  not  only  much  material  in  manuscript  and 
print,  but  many  valuable  suggestions  as  to  their  use.  The 
letter  of  Ex-Governor  Bullock  of  Georgia,  published  in  the 
volume  reveals  the  noble  nature  which  penned  it,  far  more 
eloquently  than  any  words  which  can  be  written  here,  and  is 
alike  honorable  to  its  distinguished  subject  and  its  eminent 
author. 

Acknowledgment  is  due  also  to  the  papers  from  which 
extracts  have  been  taken. 


THE  LIFE  OF 
HENRY  BRADLEY  PLANT. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Plant  Family— Birth  of  Henry  Bradley  Plant— Mr.  Plant's 
Parents — Ancestors  Came  from  England  in  1639 — David  Plant 
Occupied  Many  Positions  of  Honor  and  Trust— A.  P.  Plant's 
Successful  Business  Career— H.  B.  Plant  on  his  Mother's  Side  is 
Descended  from  Joseph  Frisbee,  a  Major  in  Washington's  Army 
— Reverend  Levi  Frisbee,  Father  of  Professor  Levi  Frisbee  of 
Harvard  College— Connection  with  Sir  William  Pepperell,  Bart. — 
The  Historian  of  the  Frisbee  Family— Richard  of  the  Second 
Generation  Went  from  Virginia  to  Connecticut,  and  Settled  at 
Branford,  1644— Sketch  of  Oliver  Libby  Frisbee,  Historian  of  his 
Family— Senator  Hoar's  Relations  to  the  Frisbee  Family — Fris- 
bee Patriotism  and  Services  to  their  Countrj'^ — They  Were  Good 
Church-Going  People,  Mostly  of  the  Puritan  BeUef — Probability 
that  the  Frisbees  Came  from  Wales. 

HENKY  BRADLEY  PLANT  was  born  October 
27,  1819,  at  Branford,  Connecticut.  His  pa- 
ternal great-grandfather  was  attached  to  Washing- 
ton's army  as  a  private,  when  Washington  was  at 
Newburg,  and  he  was  one  of  the  guard  of  the  un- 
fortunate Major  Andr6  at  the  time  of  his  execution. 


2  The  Life  of 

His  great-grandfather  on  his  grandmother  Plant's 
side  was  a  major  in  General  Washington's  army  at 
the  same  time. 

Mr.  Plant's  father  was  Anderson  Plant  and  his 
mother  was  Betsey  Bradley.  They  were  married 
December  23,  1818,  and  were  of  good  old  Puritan 
ancestry  who  came  from  England  about  two  hundred 
and  sixty  years  ago.  According  to  a  genealogical 
table  at  the  end  of  this  volume,  it  will  be  seen  that 
John  Plant  was  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  the 
year  1639, — some  give  the  date  three  years  earlier, — 
and  his  son,  John  Plant,  is  granted  a  tract  of  land 
at  Branford  in  1667.  These  people  possessed  the 
characteristics  that  distinguished  their  race.  They 
loved  freedom,  were  thrifty,  energetic,  self-reliant, 
patriotic,  and  devoutly  religious.  Many  of  them 
were  officers,  and  most  of  them  members  in  the 
Congregational  Church,  which  was  the  only  church 
in  the  town  for  the  first  hundred  years  of  its  history. 

Some  of  them  occupied  positions  of  honor  and  re- 
sponsibility in  the  State  and  country. 

David  Plant  was  born  at  Stratford,  prepared  for 
college  at  the  Cheshire  Academy,  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1804,  studied  law  at  the  Litchfield  Law 
School,  and  was  a  classmate  of  John  C.  Calhoun.  In 
1819  and  1820,  he  was  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, and  in  1821  was  elected  to  the  State 
Senate  and  twice  reelected.     He  was  Lieutenant- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  3 

Governor  of  the  State  fi'om  1823  to  1827,  and  from 
1827  to  1829  he  was  a  member  of  the  United  States 
Congress.  In  politics  he  was  a  staunch  Whig.  He 
was  an  influential  man  in  the  political  circles  of  his 
day  in  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and  Calhoun,  when 
Secretary  of  State,  offered  him  any  position  within 
his  gift;  but  he  refused  to  hold  office  under  the 
dominant  party. 

Another  successful  man  of  the  Plant  family  was 
A.  P.  Plant,  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Lydia  (Neal)  Plant, 
born  at  Southington  in  the  year  1816. 

Early  in  life  he  began  to  earn  his  own  living,  and 
by  industry,  economy,  and  business  tact  he  became 
in  time  the  head  of  a  large  manufacturing  establish- 
ment. He  settled  in  that  part  of  the  town  known 
as  the  "  Corner,"  a  part  which  rapidly  increased  in 
population  and  soon  grew  into  a  prosperous  village. 
It  bears  the  name  of  Plantsville  in  honor  of  A.  P. 
Plant  and  his  brother  E.  H.  Plant.  His  biographer 
says:  "He  made  a  profession  of  religion  in  1833; 
and  from  that  time  was  an  influential  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  In  1850,  he  was  elected  a  deacon 
of  the  church  in  Southington,  and  held  the  office 
until  1872,  when  he  ti'ansf erred  his  relations  to  the 
new  enterprise  started  in  his  own  village.  To  this 
church  he  gave  liberally,  and  left  it  a  legacy  in  his 
will."  He  is  described  as  a  most  faithful  and  con- 
sistent Christian,  an  esteemed  officer  in  the  church, 


4  The  Life  of 

and  a  firm  believer  in  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  heart  of  the  Christian. 

Henry  Bradley  Plant,  on  his  grandmother's  side, 
is  a  dii-ect  descendant  of  Joseph  Frisbee,  a  major  in 
"Washington's  army.  The  Frisbees  were  a  numer- 
ous family,  and  many  of  them  occupied  positions  of 
honor  and  influence  in  the  history  of  the  country. 
One  of  them  writing  to  Mr.  Plant  says  : 

"I  suppose  you  have  often  wondered  what  has 
become  of  my  history  of  the  Frisbee  family.  I  have 
been  diligently  at  work  on  it  since  you  heard  from 
me.  It  has  grown  from  a  very  small  beginning  to 
be  quite  an  affair,  namely,  from  looking  up  my  an- 
cestors so  that  I  could  join  the  hereditary  societies 
of  the  United  States,  to  writing  a  history  of  over  one 
thousand  of  the  lineal  descendants  of  Edward  Fris- 
bee, the  first  settler.  I  find  them  a  noble  race,  worthy 
of  history.  I  have  also  looked  up  my  maternal  an- 
cestors and  can  trace  them  back  to  1497,  thirteen 
generations,  among  them  Sir  William  Pepperell." 

The  fitness  of  the  writer,  Oliver  L.  Frisbee,  for  his 
task  of  searching  the  records  of  his  long  line  of  pro- 
genitors may  be  gathered  from  another  paragraph 
in  the  same  letter  where  he  says :  "  My  Alma  Mater, 
Bates  College,  gave  me  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts, 
last  Commencement,  for  eminent  success  in  business 
and  proficiency  in  the  studies  of  genealogy,  heraldry, 
and  colonial  histoiy." 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  5 

The  following  sketch,  with  some  slight  corrections, 
is  taken  from  a  carefully  prepared  account,  by  the 
same  writer,  of  the  descendants  of  Richard  Frisbee, 
the  first-named  ancestor  of  this  family. 

"  Richard  Frisbee  came  from  England  to  Virginia, 
in  1619,  when  he  was  twenty-four  years  old.  In 
1642,  the  Governor  of  Virginia  ordered  all  those 
who  would  not  join  the  Church  of  England  to  leave 
the  Colony,  and  hundreds  went  to  Eastern  Virginia, 
now  the  State  of  Maryland.  Among  these  refugees 
were  Richard  Frisbee  and  his  two  sons,  James  and 
William.  They  purchased  plantations  in  Cecil  County 
and  resided  on  Kent  Island,  the  northern  part  of 
Chesapeake  Bay. 

"At  first  the  Governor  of  Virginia  claimed  this 
island;  later.  Lord  Baltimore  and  afterwards,  Wil- 
liam Penn.  The  latter  wrote  to  James  Frisbee,  from 
London,  in  1681,  instructing  him  to  pay  no  tax  to 
Lord  Baltimore.  James  Frisbee  was  a  member  of 
the  House  of  Representatives  of  Maryland,  and 
held  other  important  positions  in  the  State.  In 
addressing  a  petition  to  His  Majesty,  in  1688,  he, 
with  others,  began  their  petition  thus:  'We  the 
undersigned  Englishmen  though  born  in  America,' 
etc.  James  went  back  to  England,  the  land  of  his 
birth,  in  his  old  age. 

"Richard,  son  of  Richard  the  emis^rant,  came  from 
Virginia  to  Connecticut,  and  settled  at  Branford  in 


6  The  Life  of 

1644,  when  his  brothers  went  to  Maryland.  His  son 
John  had  several  children,  among  them  Edward  and 
Joseph.  The  former  was  the  ancestor  of  Major  Philip 
Frisl3ee,  of  Albany  County,  New  York.  He  was  in 
the  AVar  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  grandsons  be- 
longed to  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  President  Edward  S.  Fris- 
bee  of  Wells  College,  in  New  York  State,  is  his  de- 
scendant. The  latter,  Joseph,  your  ancestor  [referring 
to  Mr.  Plant],  married  September  14,  1712,  had  a  son 
Jose[)h  who  married  Sarah  Bishop,  August  25,  1742. 
Their  son  Joseph  married  Sarah  Rogers,  March  11, 
1773.  Their  eldest  child,  Sarah,  born  May  15, 1774, 
was  your  grandmother. 

"  The  name  Joseph  has  been  in  our  branch  of  the 
family  a  long  time.  My  father's  name  was  Joseph. 
I  had  a  brother  Joseph,  and  my  son  born  this  sum- 
mer is  also  named  Joseph. 

"  The  youngest  child  of  the  first  Edward  was  Ebe- 
nezer,  my  ancestor,  brother  to  John,  your  ancestor. 
He  had  two  sons,  Ebenezer  and  Elisha.  The  latter 
was  the  father  of  the  Rev.  Levi  Frisbee  who  set- 
tled at  Ipswich,  Massachusetts,  and  was  the  father 
of  Professor  Levi  Frisbee  of  Harvard  College,  who 
died  in  1820,  one  of  the  most  talented  men  that  ever 
passed  through  that  institution.  Senator  Hoar  was 
named  for  him,  George  Frisbie  Hoar.  Ebenezer's 
sou  James,  born  in  1722,  was  lieutenant  with  Cap- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  T 

tain  Paul  Jones,  and  was  killed  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  years  ago  to-day,  September  23d,  in  the  en- 
gagement between  the  Bonne  Homme  Hichard  and 
Serapis  in  the  English  Channel.  This  was  my  great- 
grandfather and  by  right  of  descent  from  him  I 
joined  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  His 
son  Darius  (born  in  1769),  my  grandfather,  settled 
in  Kittery,  Maine,  and  married  Dorothy  Gerrish,  a 
great-granddaughter  of  Colonel  William  Pepperell, 
a  well-known  merchant  and  the  father  of  Sir  William 
Pepperell,  Bart.,  the  hero  of  Louisburg.  Dorothy 
Gerrish  was  also  related  to  some  of  the  most  distin- 
guished colonial  families  in  New  England." 

The  subjoined  letters  from  John  B.  Frisbee  and 
Senator  Hoar  will  be  of  interest  in  this  connection. 

"  Lakewood,  N.  J.,  December  16,  1894. 

"  My  deak  Me.  Plant  : 

"This  tardy  reply  to  your  favor  of  the  6th  inst.  is 
occasioned  by  illness  since  its  receipt,  and  which 
prompted  my  coming  to  this  place  to  recruit.  I  am 
now  rapidly  recovering  from  quite  a  severe  attack 
of  grippe,  and  hope  to  be  able  to  leave  for  Mexico 
this  week. 

"  Referring  to  the  subject  of  your  letter,  I  can  only 
give  you  meagre  information.  My  great-grandfather, 
Philip  Frisbie,  was  a  major  in  the  New  York  Militia 
and  served  under  Washington,  and  I  have  no  doubt 


8  The  Life  of 

was  closely  related  to  the  Joseph  Frisbie  you  men- 
tion. 

"  I  have  a  first  cousin,  Mrs.  Farman,  the  wife  of 
Judge  Farman,  formerly  United  States  Consul-Gen- 
eral  in  Egypt,  who  has  devoted  much  time  and  re- 
search in  obtaining  an  accurate  historj^  of  our  family. 
Recently,  she  went  to  Europe  for  the  purpose  of 
educating  her  children  in  the  French  and  German 
languages. 

"  I  have  written  to  her,  requesting  her  to  advise 
you  directly  in  regard  to  the  information  you  desire, 
hence  I  feel  assui'ed  that  you  will  in  due  time  re- 
ceive a  letter  from  her  upon  the  subject. 

"  Since  we  last  met  I  have  visited  New  York  sev- 
eral times,  and  upon  each  occasion  you  have  been 
absent  from  the  city,  thus  depriving  me  of  the 
coveted  pleasure  of  paying  my  respects  to  Mrs. 
Plant  and  your  good  self;  with  best  regards  to 
both,  I  remain, 

"  Yours  very  sincerely, 

"  John  B.  Frisbie." 

"United  States  Senate, 
"  Washington,  D.  C,  January  26,  1895. 

^'  My  dear  Sir  : 

"  I  know  very  little  about  the  Frisbie  family  in  this 
countr}^  I  have  no  relatives  of  that  name.  I  was 
myself  named  for  a  very  intimate  friend  of  my  father, 
Prof.  Levi  Frisbie,  who  was  an  eminent  scholar  in 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  9 

his  time,  a  graduate  at  Harvard  in  1802,  and  after- 
wards filled  two  professorships  there.  His  writings, 
as  I  dare  say  you  know,  were  collected  with  a  brief 
memoir  and  are  occasionally  to  be  found  in  book- 
stores. He  was  son  of  the  Rev.  Levi  Frisbie,  of 
Ipswich,  who  delivered  several  addresses  that  have 
been  published.  Prof.  Frisbie  %vrote  some  articles 
for  the  Noi'tli  American  Review  which  you  will 
find  referred  to  in  Cushing's  lists  of  the  articles. 
Dr.  Holmes  wrote  me  some  years  ago  an  account  of 
Prof.  Frisbie's  personal  appearance,  which  I  suppose 
I  can  find  when  I  am  at  home  in  Worcester,  if  you 
desire.  Prof.  Frisbie  was  nearly  blind  and  instructed 
his  classes  and  pursued  his  studies  without  being 
able  to  read. 

"  I  am  faithfully  yours, 

"  Geo.  F.  Hoar.* 
"  To  O.  L.  Frisbie, 

"  Portsmouth,  N.  H." 

The  Frisbee  family  was  patriotic  and  promptly 
responded  to  the  call  of  freedom  and  independence. 
There  were  thirty-five  of  them  from  Connecticut  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Eleven  of  them  spelled 
their  names  Frisbee ;  seventeen,  Frisbie ;  and  seven, 
Frisby.  They  continued  in  the  service  of  their 
country  from  the  Lexington  alarm,  April  19,  1776, 

*  George  Frisbie  Hoar. 


10  The  Life  of 

until  the  disbanding  of  the  army,  by  Washington, 
on  the  Hudson  in  1783.  A  regiment  marched  from 
Connecticut  towns,  in  1775,  to  the  relief  of  Boston. 
John  Frisbee,  son  of  Titus  Ebenezer,  represented 
Branford  in  the  Legislature  from  1690  to  1692.  O. 
L.  Frisbee  writes  to  Mr.  Plant:  "Your  ancestor 
was  a  good  churchman.  From  him,  there  is  a  long 
list  of  Frisbees  in  the  records  of  the  church  of  Bran- 
ford.  In  1700,  the  annals  of  Branford  say  that 
among  the  families  prominently  identified  with  the 
church,  town,  and  business  from  1700  to  1800,  the 
Frisbees,  Bands,  and  Plants  head  a  long  list  in  the 
order  in  which  I  have  written  their  names.  This 
religious  element  seems  to  have  been  with  the  Fris- 
bees. Rev.  Levi  Frisbee,  father  of  Professor  Levi 
of  Harvard  College,  was  a  very  pious  man. 

"  He  was  invited  to  deliver  an  oration  on  Washing- 
ton at  his  death.  My  grandfather  was  a  very  pious 
man  ;  he  founded  a  church  at  Kittery,  Maine.  My 
father,  Joseph  Frisbee,  was  a  deacon  in  the  church. 
He  and  Caleb  Frisbee  were  in  the  regiment  from 
Branford.  I  found  Noah  and  Edward  Frisbee  were 
members  of  the  company  that  marched  to  the  relief 
of  Fort  William  Henry,  August,  1757,  from  Con- 
necticut. I  found  your  ancestor  Joseph  Foote  Fris- 
bee was  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  lived  to  be 
ninety-eight  years  of  age.  About  1700,  Samuel 
Baker  and  Samuel  Frisbee,  Jr.,  bought  land  for  a 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  H 

wharf  at  Dutcli  House  Point,  from  Joseph  Foote  at 
Branford,  Joseph  Foote  Frisbee  might  have  been 
named  for  this  man. 

"  In  the  church  records  of  Branford  there  is  a  great 
deal  about  Joseph  Frisbee,  in  connection  with  the 
church  from  1743  to  1746.  I  find  all  the  Frisbees 
good  church  (Congregational)  people,  from  the  first 
Edward  who  settled  at  Branford,  July  7, 1644.  He 
and  his  wife  Abigail  joined  the  Congregational 
church  soon  after  settling  in  Branford.  I  should  say 
the  Frisbees  were  good  fighters  in  war,  and  good 
church  and  law-abiding  people,  with  Puritanic  prin- 
ciples that  helped  to  build  the  nation." 

In  a  history  of  the  Wolcotts  of  Connecticut,  it  is 
stated  that  John  Frisbee  and  Abigail  Culpepper, 
his  wife,  came  from  Wales.  This  may  be  correct, 
although  in  the  genealogical  sketch  already  given  it  is 
stated  that  the  first  of  the  family,  Richard  Frisbee, 
came  from  England  to  Virginia  in  1619,  but  the 
same  sketch  says  that  in  1642  the  Governor  of  Vir- 
ginia ordered  all  who  would  not  join  the  Church 
of  England  to  leave  the  Colony,  and  that  hundreds 
went  to  Eastern  Virginia,  now  called  Maryland,  and 
that  among  them  was  Richard  Frisbee,  who  with  his 
sons  settled  in  Cecil  County,  living  on  Kent  Island, 
the  northern  part  of  Chesapeake  Bay.  Now  it  is  quite 
common,  in  the  early  accounts  of  immigration  to 
America,  to  describe  the  people  as  English,  or  as 


12  The  Life  of 

coming  from  England,  when  in  fact  they  were  Scotch 
or  Irish.  But  coming  from  any  of  the  British  Islands 
they  Avere  often  called  English.  This  would  be 
more  likely  to  be  the  case  with  those  coming  fi-om 
Wales,  which  is,  geographically  speaking,  a  part  of 
the  island  of  Great  Britain.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is 
not  of  great  importance.  The  spirit  of  dissent  fi*om 
the  Established  Church  was  just  as  strong  in  Eng- 
land as  in  Wales.  The  name  Frisbee  or  Frisby,  as 
its  terminal  denotes,  is  of  English  origin,  but  it  is 
C[uite  possible  that  the  family  came  fi"om  one  of  the 
border  countries. 

Whether  this  family  came  from  Wales  or  England 
may  be  only  a  matter  of  historic  accuracy  and  per- 
sonal interest ;  certain  it  is  the  Frisbees  are  a  people 
who  have  done  honor  to  their  coimtry  both  in  war 
and  in  peace.  They  bore  a  prominent  part  in  the 
victorious  struggle  for  the  freedom  and  independ- 
ence of  the  American  Colonies.  They  have  been 
the  promoters  of  education,  peace,  piety,  and  "  the 
righteousness  that  exalteth  a  nation."  We  have 
given  this  account  of  this  people,  for  four  reasons. 
First,  because  the  historian  of  the  family,  with  a 
commendable  pride,  has  collected  and  preserved  the 
family  record  of  his  people,  from  which  the  material 
for  this  brief  notice  was  placed  at  our  disposal. 
Secondly,  because  the  family  histories  of  the  people 
who  have  combined  to  form  the  American  nation 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  13 

are  only  beginning  to  receive  a  sliglit  part  of  the 
attention  wliich  they  justly  merit.  Thirdly,  because 
a  knowledge  of  the  numerous  and  varied  races  that 
have  foiTQed  the  nation  is  essential  to  a  correct  un- 
derstanding of  the  American  people.  Fourthly,  be- 
cause in  the  present  case,  owing  to  the  early  death 
of  Mr.  Plant's  father,  the  widowed  mother  was 
especially  dear  to  him,  and  is  still  cherished  in  his 
memory  with  the  most  tender  and  affectionate 
regard. 

Mr.  Plant's  connection  with  Washington's  army 
during  the  Revolutionaiy  War  was  one  of  the  fam- 
ily traditions,  but  he  was  not  the  man  to  accept 
honors  unless  he  knew  they  rightly  belonged  to  him. 
So  after  an  extensive  correspondence,  and  a  thorough 
investigation  of  the  military  register  in  several  States, 
and  at  the  national  capital,  he  received  the  follow- 
ing communication,  which  I  have  carefully  copied 
from  the  original. 

"Records  and  Pension  Office,  War  Department, 
Washington,  November  15,  1895.  Respectfully 
returned  to  Mr.  Oliver  L.  Frisbee,  A.M.,  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire.  It  appears  from  the  records  of  this 
office,  that  Joseph  Frisbee  was  enlisted  September 
3,  1T80,  and  served  as  a  private  in  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel Sherman's  Company  (also  designated  as  Captain 
Sylvan  us  Brown's  and  Lieutenant  Joseph  Halt's 
Company),  Eighth  Connecticut  Regiment,  Revolu- 


14  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

tionary  War,  and  was  also  discharged  October  29, 
1780."  On  transmitting  the  above  to  Mr.  Plant,  Mr. 
O.  Frisbee  writes  from  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 
December  24, 1895  :  "Enclosed  please  find  the  record 
from  Washington  of  the  service  of  your  grandmother's 
father,  Joseph  Frisbee,  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
He  was  born  August  17,  1745 ;  married,  March  11, 
1773,  Sarah  Rogers;  had  a  daughter  Sarah,  born 
May  15,  1774,  married  Samuel  Plant,  February  11, 
1795.  These  records  will  enable  you  and  your  sons 
to  join  in  '  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.' 

"  O.  L.  Feisbee." 


CHAPTER  II. 

Branford,  Connecticut,  Purchased  by  the  New  Haven  Colonists  from 
the  Totokett  Indians  in  1638— First  Settlements  were  Made  1644 
— First  Church  of  Logs  Surrounded  by  Stockade  to  Protect  from 
Indians — Guards  at  the  Gate  during  Service — Church  and  Town 
Records  Preserved  at  Branford— John  Plum  the  First  Town 
Clerk — Style  of  the  Second  Church  Building  and  Character  of 
its  Services— Rev.  Timothy  Gillett  its  Pastor — He  Taught  an 
Academy  in  Addition  to  his  Pastoral  Work— Prominent  Fam- 
ilies of  Branford — Intelligent  Character  of  the  People — De 
Tocqueville's  High  Estimate  of  this  "  Leetle  State" — Branford 
in  1779. 

SOON  after  New  Haven  was  settled,  the  people 
negotiated  with  the  Indians  for  an  additional 
tract  of  land,  some  ten  miles  in  length  from  north 
to  south.  It  extended  eight  or  ten  miles  east  of  the 
Quinnipiac  River.  The  purchase  of  this  land  oc- 
curred in  December,  1638.  It  was  bought  from  an 
Indian  sachem  named  Sorsheog  of  Mattabeseck. 
The  territory  included  the  land  on  which  the  town 
of  Branford  was  built,  and  its  Indian  name  was  To- 
tokett. It  was  several  years  before  the  purchasers 
went  to  live  at  Totokett.  It  was  early  in  the  year 
1644  when  the  first  settlers  located  upon  their  lands 


16  The  Life  of 

at  Branford.  By  the  first  of  October  of  that  year,  the 
society  was  so  far  organized  that  their  minister  could 
gather  them  for  regular  service.  The  people  soon 
built  him  a  house  and  a  meeting-house,  or  church. 
This  latter  stood  in  the  front  of  the  old  burying- 
ground ;  it  was  built  of  logs  and  had  a  thatched  roof, 
and  was  surrounded  by  a  cedar-wood  stockade  twelve 
feet  high.  A  cedar-wood  vase  made  from  the  wood 
of  this  stockade  is  still  in  the  possession  of  JVIrs. 
Samuel  O.  Plant. 

During  the  hours  of  worship,  one  or  more  of  the 
men  stood  guard  near  the  entrance  of  the  stockade. 
All  carried  firearms  to  church,  or  when  going  any 
distance  from  home.  They  were  not  afraid  of  the 
Totokett  Indians,  but  of  raiding  bands  of  other 
Indian  tribes  who  attacked  both  the  whites  and 
Indians.  The  fierce  Mohawks  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  Hudson  were  often  the  assailants.  The 
first  thing  that  appears  on  the  ancient  records  of 
Branford  is  the  division  of  lands  among  the  first 
settlers  in  the  month  of  June,  1645.  It  has  been 
said,  and  often  repeated,  that  in  1666,  when  so  many 
people  went  from  Branford  to  settle  at  Newark, 
New  Jersey,  they  took  the  records  of  Branford  with 
them.  These  in  some  way  Avere  burned,  and  thus 
much  valuable  histoiy  was  lost.  But  such  was  not 
the  fact. 

The  town    and  church  records  have   always   re- 


Old  Homestead  of  the  Plant  Family. 

Branford,  Cotineciicut. 
Hirthplnce  of  Henry  Bradley   Plant. 


'    OF  THE 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  17 

mained  at  Branford.  They  are  quite  full  and  in  a 
reasonably  good  state  of  preservation.  In  a  manu- 
script history  of  Branford  from  which  the  above 
account  is  taken,  the  name  of  the  first  town  clerk, 
John  Plum,  in  1645,  and  a  list  of  his  successors,  are 
given  with  the  date  of  their  service.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  note  how  much  alike  are  the  ways  and  cus- 
toms of  this  old  Puritan  town  to  those  of  the  town 
of  Harlem,  built  by  the  Dutch  a  little  later  and  now 
part  of  New  York  City.  In  both  places  the  history 
of  the  town  and  the  history  of  the  church  are  one. 
They  are  so  interwoven  that  they  can  hardly  be 
separated.  The  division  of  the  meadow-lands  is  the 
same ;  mutual  protection  from  the  Indians,  and  the 
manner  of  defence  are  also  alike.  The  official  ap- 
pointment, by  the  town,  of  a  man  to  gather  in  all 
the  cows  of  the  settlers,  take  them  out  to  graze  in 
the  morning,  and  bring  them  back  at  the  proper 
time  to  be  milked,  and  many  other  such  customs,  are 
very  much  alike  in  both  settlements. 

The  second  church,  or  meeting-house,  was  built  on 
the  common,  of  wood,  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
present  house  of  worship,  which  is  built  of  brick. 
Mr.  Plant  remembers  the  high  galleries  in  the  old 
church  where  the  seats  were  arranged  in  slips,  the 
boys  on  one  side,  and  the  girls  on  the  other;  neither 
could  see  the  minister,  and  it  is  very  doubtful 
whether  any  of  them  heard  him.     There  were  no 


18  The  Life  of 

children's  sermons  in  those  days.  The  babes,  of 
whom  Paul  ^vrites,  were  not  fed  on  milk,  but  on 
strong  meat,  which  even  the  rigorous  doctrinal  appe- 
tites of  the  fathers  sometimes  found  hard  to  digest. 
Some  of  the  modern  church  movements,  such  as  wo- 
men preaching,  and  Salvation  Army  barracks,  would 
have  sufficiently  alarmed  those  good  orthodox  people 
to  make  them  call  for  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer. 
Nevertheless  they  were  a  noble  race,  among  whom 
misap23ropriation  and  embezzlement  of  funds,  trust 
swindling  and  corporation  stealing  and  political 
corruption  were  unknown. 

The  pulpit  was  the  old-fashioned  ban-el-shaped 
structure,  and,  like  some  of  the  sermons,  was  high 
above  the  heads  of  the  people.  There  was  a  great 
sounding-board  over  the  head  of  the  preacher,  and 
it  used  to  be  a  subject  of  calculation  vdth  the  boys, 
whether  this  board  would  not  some  day  fall  on  the 
devoted  head  of  the  speaker  and  stop  the  sound 
altogether.  This  church  had  the  old  family  square 
pew,  and  in  front  of  the  pulpit  was  a  bench  for  the 
deacons.  The  people  were  classified  in  their  pews 
according  to  age,  and  the  oldest,  perhaps  on  account  of 
their  difficulty  in  hearing,  occupied  the  seats  nearest 
the  pulpit.  The  church  building  was  not  warmed, 
save  by  the  fervid  sermons  of  those  grand  old  Puri- 
tan divines.  That,  however,  reached  only  the  head 
and  heart,  hence,  for  the  feet,  they  made  stoves  of 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  19 

sheet  iron,  over  which  was  a  perforated  tin  casing, 
and  over  this  a  hardwood  casing.  Coals  from  corn- 
cobs, or  seasoned  hickory,  as  being  the  most  durable, 
were  placed  in  this  stove,  which  was  carried  in  the 
bottom  of  carriage  or  sleigh  to  church,  where  its 
heat  would  last  all  forenoon.  At  the  close  of  the 
forenoon  service,  the  people  went  to  the  neighboring 
church  house,  which  was  warmed  by  a  log  fire.  Here 
they  ate  their  luncheon,  and  then  returned  to  the 
church  for  another  two  hours'  devotion. 

The  Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett  was  pastor  of  this 
church  in  Mr.  Plant's  boyhood.  He  taught  an  acad- 
emy— Mr.  Plant  being  a  scholar  for  several  terms — 
in  addition  to  his  ministerial  duties  of  preaching, 
visiting,  and  catechising  the  church  people.  He 
was  a  sober,  solemn,  orthodox  clergyman  of  the  old 
school,  scholarly  and  dignified  both  in  and  out  of 
the  pulpit.  It  is  only  a  hint  of  the  changes  that 
time  brings,  and  no  reflection  on  this  good  man's 
charity  to  say  that,  had  he  seen  one  of  the  modern 
ministers  visiting  his  flock  on  a  bicycle,  he  would 
have  had  him  deposed  from  the  sacred  ofiice.  Some 
unfortunate  misunderstanding  came  between  him 
and  his  congregation  in  the  latter  part  of  his  minis- 
try, so  that  his  wife  refused  to  have  his  remains 
interred  in  the  church  burying-ground.  She  after- 
wards relented,  was  herself  buried  in  the  church 
cemetery,  and  left  in  her  will  two  thousand  dollars 


20  The  Life  of 

to  defray  the  cost  of  removiDg  her  husband's  remains 
thither,  and  for  erecting  a  suitable  monument  to  his 
memory.  The  sacred  dust  of  both  pastor  and  wife 
rests,  as  it  should,  among  the  people  to  whom  they 
ministered  for  some  fifty  years  or  more.  The  town 
of  Branford  was  composed  of  an  intelligent,  indus- 
trious, and  religious  people,  mostly  farmers  and 
well-to-do  citizens.  The  academy  presided  over  by 
the  Eev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett  constituted  a  centre  of 
intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  development  that 
inspired  the  life  and  elevated  the  character  of  the 
people. 

The  follomng  account  from  the  Branford  Annals 
is  only  one  of  the  many  testimonies  that  might 
be  recorded  of  the  patriotism  and  courage  of  this 
people  : 

"No  town  in  New  Haven  County  was  more  im- 
portant during  the  war  of  independence  than  old 
Branford.  Her  citizens  proved  very  patriotic.  She 
had  a  few  royalists  who  were  somewhat  troublesome. 
But  most  of  her  people  were  self-sacrificing  in  a 
special  degree  in  sustaining  the  federal  cause.  No 
town  surpassed  her  in  furnishing  men  and  means. 
Most  all  of  her  able-bodied  men  were  in  the  army, 
responding  promptly  at  every  call.  Col.  William 
Douglass'  regiment,  which  did  most  effective  service, 
was  largely  recruited  from  Branford.  The  coasts 
and  harbors  of  Branford  exposed  her  to  visits  from 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  21 

tlie  vessels  of  tlie  enemy.  Coast-guards  were  needed, 
and  were  kept  night  and  day  at  Stony  Creek,  Indian 
Neck,  Town  Neck,  and  at  Branford  Point.  At  tlie 
approach  of  the  enemy,  two  reports  of  a  cannon 
were  to  call  out  all  the  people  to  repel  invasion. 
Expresses  were  kept  in  readiness  to  hasten  to  the 
remote  parts  of  the  town  with  the  alarming  news. 
When  New  Haven  was  invaded,  patriots  from  Bran- 
ford  were  quickly  on  hand  to  help.  A  company  of 
her  men  were  in  the  battle  at  Milford  Hill.  Two 
Branford  men,  Goodrich  and  Baldwin,  were  killed, 
and  several  others  wounded  at  that  battle.  The  at- 
tack of  the  British  on  the  east  side  of  New  Haven 
harbor  was  repelled  by  the  Branford  home  guard 
mostly.  Those  from  Branford  were  supported  by 
men  from  Guilford,  who  hastened  to  the  rescue. 

"  At  that  time  a  new  vessel,  a  brig  named  the  Neio 
Defence^  was  at  Branford  wharf  almost  ready  to  sail 
against  the  enemy.  She  had  been  built  and  manned 
at  Branford.  Her  future  history  was  tragical.  At 
the  first  alarm  of  the  landing  at  New  Haven  the  guns 
of  this  vessel  were  taken  out  and  hurried  over  the 
hills  to  East  Haven.  There  mounted  and  vigorously 
used  and  well  supported  by  the  brave  minute-men 
with  their  muskets,  the  invaders  were  compelled  to 
hasten  a  retreat.  One  of  the  reports  made  by  the 
British  officers  speaks  of  the  strong  force  and  '  great 
guns'  encountered  in  that  direction.     There  is  an 


22  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

old  record  at  Branford  showing  that  Mason  Hobart, 
of  that  place,  was  paid  £5  for  carting  two  cannon 
to  East  Haven  from  the  brig  JSleiv  Defence,  July  5, 
1779." 

Connecticut,  though  one  of  the  smaller  States  of 
the  Union,  has  ever  maintained  a  high  standard  of 
patriotism,  education,  and  moral  power  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  country.  De  Tocqueville  was  in  the 
habit  of  saying,  "All  de  great  men  in  Amerique 
comed  from  dat  leetle  State  dey  call  Connecti-coot." 
Branford  is  an  old  seaport  town.  Its  ship-building, 
fisheries.  West  India  trade,  two  hundred  years  ago, 
were  quite  extensive  for  that  day.  It  is  also  a  sea- 
side resort  in  summer,  being  half-way  between  Bos- 
ton and  New  York. 

Branford  was  for  many  years  the  Governor's  seat 
of  the  colonial  government  of  Connecticut.  The 
house  of  Governor  Saltonstall  is  still  standing. 
Many  of  the  useful  and  prominent  men  of  the  coun- 
try were  born  and  reared  in  this  quiet  yet  enter- 
prising little  town,  founded  more  than  two  and  a 
half  centuries  ago  by  the  Puritans  of  old  England. 
Among  its  noted  and  worthy  families  were  those  of 
the  Plants  and  Blackstones,  of  whom  we  shall  speak 
in  the  following  chapter,  as  the  two  families  became 
connected  by  marriage,  and  are  still  warmly  at- 
tached to  their  native  town. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Blackstone  Family— The  Ancestor  Came  from  England  before 
1630— His  Name  was  William  Blaxton— Settled  First  in  Massa- 
chusetts, afterwards  Went  to  Rhode  Island— His  Beautiful  Char- 
acter and  Numerous  Descendants— Origin  of  Yale  College  of 
Branford— The  Blackstone  Memorial  Library. 

FROM  a  pamphlet  history  of  the  Blackstone  fam- 
ily, in  which  the  name  is  spelled  Blaxton,  we 
gather  the  following  interesting  account : 

"For  several  years  before  Winthrop  came,  in 
1630,  William  Blaxton  constituted  the  entire  popu- 
lation of  this  peninsula  [Massachusetts,  of  which 
the  present  Boston  Common  was  then  a  part],  at 
that  time  an  unbroken  wilderness  of  woods  trav- 
ersed by  savages,  by  wolves,  and  other  wild  beasts 
almost  as  dangerous.  Here  he  dwelt  alone,  exposed 
to  dangers,  many  and  great.  He  was  a  man  of 
culture,  refinement,  and  gentlemanly  bearing,  ami- 
able and  hospitable,  liked  by  Indians,  and  indeed 
by  everybody.  These  noble  traits,  this  love  of  na- 
ture, his  sacred  calling,  his  trusting  faith,  invested 
whatever  belonged  to  him  with  a  romantic  interest. 
He  was  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  born 
23 


(  UNIVERSITY 


24  The  Life  of 

iu  1595,  graduated  from.  Cambridge,  England,  in 
1617,  and  died  1675,  aged  eiglity  years.  Blaxton 
took  orders  in  the  Episcopal  Cliurcli,  but  it  seems 
that  he  never  had  a  cure,  though  he  still  wore  his 
canonical  coat,  which  would  indicate  his  attachment 
to  the  English  Church,  yet  some  have  represented 
him  as  a  non -conformist,  '  detesting  Prelacy.'  He 
had  in  his  library  ten  large  volumes  of  manuscript 
books,  presumably  sermons,  all  of  which  were 
burned  in  his  house  during  King  Philip's  War. 
Blaxton  came  to  America  in  1623  with  Robert 
Gorges." 

The  father  of  Mr.  Plant's  first  wife  was  Captain 
James  Blackstone.  He  lived  to  the  ripe  old  age  of 
ninety-seven.  His  son,  Timothy  B.  Blackstone,  is 
building  a  public  library  in  Branford  to  the  mem- 
ory of  his  revered  father.  The  following  extract  of 
a  letter  to  the  donor  from  one  of  the  trustees  of  this 
library,  Mr.  Addison  Van  Name,  will  be  of  interest 
in  this  connection,  showing,  as  it  does,  the  origin  of 
Yale  College.  The  letter  is  dated  from  Yale  Uni- 
versity Library,  and  runs  as  follows  : 

"  My  fellow-trustees  asked  me  to  procure  a  design 
for  a  book-plate,  and  one  is  herewith  submitted  for 
your  approval.  It  seemed  to  us  that  a  memorable  in- 
cident in  the  earlier  library  history  of  Branford  might 
appropriately  be  commemorated  here,  and  this  has 
been  attempted  in  the  vignette,  in  the  upper  right- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  ^o 

hand  corner  of  the  plate.  You  are  no  doubt  familiar 
with  the  story,  but  President  Clap's  Annals  of  Yale 
College  is  not  a  very  common  book,  and  I  may  be  ex- 
cused for  quoting  his  exact  language. 

"In  the  year  1700,  'The  Ministers  so  nominated 
met  at  New  Haven,  and  formed  themselves  into  a 
body,  or  society,  to  consist  of  eleven  ministers,  in- 
cluding a  rector,  and  agreed  to  found  a  college  in 
the  colony  of  Connecticut,  which  they  did  at  their 
next  meeting  at  Branford,  in  the  following  manner, 
viz. :  Each  member  brought  a  number  of  books  and 
presented  them  to  the  body,  and  lapng  them  on  the 
table  said  these  words,  or  to  this  effect,  "  I  give  these 
books  for  the  founding  a  college  in  this  Colony." 
Then  the  trustees,  as  a  body,  took  possession  of 
them,  and  appointed  the  Rev.  Mr.  Russel,  of  Bran- 
ford,  to  be  the  Keeper  of  the  Library,  which  then 
consisted  of  about  forty  volumes  in  folio.'  " 

The  stoiy  is  so  good  that,  if  there  were  not  the 
best  of  reasons  for  believing  it  true,  one  might  easily 
suspect  it  to  have  been  invented.  But  in  his  preface 
President  Clap  says :  "  Several  circumstances  [and 
among  them  we  may  well  suppose  the  incident  in 
question]  I  received  from  sundry  gentlemen  who 
were  contemporary  with  the  facts  related,  among 
whom  were  some  of  the  founders  of  the  college 
with  whom  I  was  personally  acquainted  in  the  year 
1726." 


26  The  Life  of 

The  following  account  of  Mr.  Timothy  B.  Black- 
stone  is  taken  from  the  New  York  Herald  of  April 
12,  1896: 

"  Mr.  Blackstone  was  bom  in  a  part  of  Branford 
known  as  Blackstoneville,  on  March  28,  1829.  His 
father.  Captain  James  Blackstone,  in  whose  memory 
he  erected  this  building,  was  a  well-to-do  farmer  and 
stock-raiser.  He  derived  his  title  of  captain  from 
being  elected  to  that  position  in  a  company  of  local 
militia.  He  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  the 
sessions  of  1825,  1826,  and  1830,  and  was  elected 
State  Senator  in  1840. 

"  Timothy  attended  the  public  schools  here  until 
he  was  eighteen  years  old,  when  he  left,  and  ob- 
tained employment  as  assistant  to  a  civil  engineer, 
who  was  at  that  time  surveying  on  the  construction 
of  the  New  York  and  New  Haven,  now  the  Consoli- 
dated, Railroad.  After  finishing  this  piece  of  work 
he  became  an  engineer,  and  was  appointed  assistant 
engineer  of  the  Stockbriclge  and  Pittsfield  Railroad, 
a  short  line  constructed  in  1849,  and  now  a  part  of 
the  Housatonic  road.  After  this  road  was  com- 
pleted, Mr.  Blackstone  went  west  in  1851,  and  took 
charge  of  the  construction  of  a  portion  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad.  He  settled  at  this  time  in  La 
Salle,  111.,  and  was  Mayor  of  the  city  for  one  year. 
In  1856,  he  became  civil  engineer  of  the  Joliet  and 
Chicago  Railroad,  which  ran  from  Joliet  via  Lock- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  27 

port  to  Chicago.  After  this  he  was  employed  in 
surveying  the  land  over  which  the  Chicago  and 
Alton  Railroad  now  runs. 

"  Mr.  Blackstone  first  began  accumulating  wealth 
while  this  road  was  being  built.  He  purchased 
land  ahead,  and  then  sold  it  at  a  profit.  He  then 
invested  in  stock,  and  held  several  responsible  ofiices 
until  he  attained  his  present  position — president  of 
the  great  system." 

On  June  17,  1896,  the  magnificent  library  was 
dedicated  with  appropriate  ceremonies,  and  called 
forth  much  enthusiasm  from  the  townspeople. 

In  the  course  of  his  speech  on  this  occasion,  as 
reported  in  the  Daily  Palladium  of  New  Haven, 
Judge  Harrison  said : 

"While  the  primary  purpose  of  the  generous 
donor  of  this  building,  and  its  endowment  fund,  is 
to  benefit  the  people  of  the  town  of  Branford,  it 
will  never  be  forgotten  that  it  serves  also  as  a  me- 
morial to  Hon.  James  Blackstone,  who  spent  his 
long  life  of  ninety-three  years  in  this  town,  where 
he  was  born,  and  to  the  welfare  of  which  he  devoted 
so  much  time  during  the  years  of  his  young  and  ma- 
ture manhood.  For  nearly  two  centuries  the  Black- 
stone family  has  occupied  a  conspicuous  place  in  this 
community,  and  for  the  same  length  of  time  repre- 
sentatives of  the  family  have  been  tillers  of  the  soil, 
the  title  to  which  has  always  been  in  a  Blackstone. 


28  The  Life  of 

"We  cannot  properly  dedicate  this  building  to 
the  purpose  for  which  it  is  intended  without  calling 
yom'  attention  briefly  to  James  Blackstone,  his  life, 
his  family,  and  his  ancestors.  He  was  born  in  Bran- 
ford  in  1793,  in  a  house  located  nearly  opposite  that 
home  which  was  during  nearly  his  whole  life  his 
residence,  and  where  he  died  on  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1886.  His  first  ancestor  in  this  country  was 
the  Rev.  William  Blackstone,  a  graduate,  in  1617, 
of  Emanuel  College,  Cambridge.  He  received  Epis- 
copal ordination  in  England  after  graduation,  but, 
like  John  Davenport  of  New  Haven,  he  soon  be- 
came of  the  Puritan  persuasion,  left  his  native  coun- 
try on  account  of  his  non-conformity,  and  became 
the  first  white  settler  upon  that  famous  neck  of  land 
opposite  Charlestown,  which  is  now  the  city  of  Bos- 
ton. When  the  Massachusetts  colony  came  to  New 
England  they  found  William  Blackstone  settled  on 
that  peninsula.  He  had  been  there  long  enough  to 
have  planted  an  orchard  of  apple  trees.  U  pon  his 
invitation,  the  principal  part  of  the  Massachusetts 
colony  removed  from  Charlestown  and  founded  the 
town  of  Boston,  on  land  which  Mr.  Blackstone  de- 
sired them  to  occupy.  He  was  the  first  inhabitant 
of  the  town,  and  the  colony  records  of  May  18,  1631, 
show  that  he  was  the  first  person  admitted  a  free- 
man of  Boston.  His  house  and  orchard  were  located 
upon  a  spot  about  half-way  between  Boston  Common 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  29 

and  the  Charles  River.  A  few  years  passed  by,  and 
the  peculiar  notions  of  the  Puritans  of  Boston  on  the 
subject  of  church  organization  and  government,  had 
satisfied  William  Blackstone  that  while  he  could  not 
conform  to  the  church  of  Archbishop  Laud,  neither 
could  he  conform  to  the  Puritan  Church  of  Boston, 
and  when  they  invited  him  to  join  them  he  constantly 
declined,  using  this  language :  '  I  came  from  Eng- 
land because  I  did  not  like  the  lord-bishops ;  but  I 
cannot  join  with  you  because  I  would  not  be  under 
the  lord-brethren.' 

"In  1633,  an  agreement  was  entered  into  between 
himself  and  the  other  old  settlers,  in  the  division  of 
the  lands,  that  he  should  have  fifty  acres  allotted  to 
him  near  his  house  forever.  In  1635,  he  sold  forty- 
four  of  those  acres  to  the  company  for  £30,  retain- 
ing the  six  acres  upon  which  was  his  orchard,  and 
soon  afterwards  he  removed  to  Phode  Island,  living 
near  Providence  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  the  26th  of  May,  1675.  A  few  years 
after  leaving  Boston  he  sold  the  orchard  of  six  acres 
to  a  man  named  Pepys.  He  was  not  in  any  manner 
driven  away  from  Boston  by  the  Puritan  Fathers, 
but  holding  certain  ideas  which  did  not  agree  with 
those  of  his  neighbors,  he  concluded  to  move  to  a 
new  location,  from  similar  motives  to  those  which 
led  John  Davenport  to  leave  New  Haven  and  go  to 
Boston  after  the  union  of  the  New  Haven  colony 


30  The  Life  of 

with  the  Connecticut  colony  at  Hartford.  All  of 
the  accounts  and  records  of  Rev.  William  Blackstone 
show  him  to  have  been  a  religious  man,  with  literary 
tastes,  of  correct,  industrious,  thrifty  habits,  kind 
and  philanthropic  feelings,  living  for  several  years 
on  Boston  Neck,  and  demonstrating  the  ability  of 
the  white  man  to  live  in  peace  with  only  Indians 
for  his  neighbors.  While  living  in  Rhode  Island 
he  frequently  went  to  Providence  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel, and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  the  settlers  of 
that  colony.  In  July,  1659,  he  married  a  widow 
named  Sarah  Stevenson,  and  by  her  he  had  one  son, 
John  Blackstone.  The  inventory  of  his  estate  after 
his  death  describes  him  as  having  a  house  and  or- 
chard, 260  acres  of  land,  interests  in  the  Providence 
meadows,  and  a  library  of  186  volumes  of  diiferent 
languages.  A  river  of  Rhode  Island  and  a  town  in 
Massachusetts  were  named  Blackstone  in  his  honor. 

"His  only  son,  John,  married  in  1692,  and  about 
1713  moved  to  the  town  of  Branford,  where  he  took 
up  his  residence  on  lands  southeast  of  the  centre  of 
the  town,  and  bounded  southerly  by  the  sea. 

"  The  son  of  this  John  Blackstone  was  born  in  1669, 
and  died  in  Branford,  January  3,  1785,  aged  nearly 
eighty-six.  His  son,  John  Blackstone,  was  born  in 
Branford  in  1731,  and  died  August  10,  1816,  aged 
eighty-five.  The  son  of  this  last  John  Blackstone, 
Timothy  Blackstone,  was  born  in  Branford  in  1776, 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  31 

and  died  in  1849,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three.  This 
Timothy  Blackstone  was  the  father  of  Hon.  James 
Blackstone,  who  was  born  in  Branford,  in  the  old 
homestead  of  his  father  and  grandfather,  in  1793, 

"  Here  were  five  generations  of  the  Blackstones  liv- 
ing and  dying  upon  the  old  family  farm  in  Branford. 
All  of  them  seem  to  have  possessed  many  of  the 
traits  of  their  first  ancestor  in  this  country.  They 
were  noted  for  their  force  of  character,  industry, 
modesty,  and  marked  executive  ability.  James 
Blackstone,  like  his  ancestors,  was  a  farmer.  At 
the  age  of  twenty  he  was  elected  a  captain  in  the 
Connecticut  militia,  and  as  such  commanded  his 
com]3any  for  several  months  while  serving  as  coast- 
guard on  Long  Island  Sound  during  the  war  of 
1812-15.  He  held  at  one  time  or  another  during 
his  life  the  important  local  ofiices  of  the  town,  such 
as  assessor  and  first  selectman.  Before  the  separa- 
tion of  North  Branford  in  1831,  the  township  of 
Branford,  as  one  of  the  original  towns,  was  entitled 
to  two  representatives  in  the  General  Assembly,  and 
on  several  occasions  Captain  James  Blackstone  of 
Branford  and  Captain  Jonathan  Rose  of  North  Bran- 
ford were  the  representatives  of  the  town  at  Hart- 
ford and  New  Haven.  In  1842,  James  Blackstone 
represented  the  Sixth  District  in  the  State  Senate. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Federalist,  a  Whig,  and  a  Re- 
publican.    His  advice  and  counsel  were  sought  by 


32  The  Life  of 

people,  not  only  of  his  own  town,  but  of  neighboring 
towns,  when  occasions  arose  concerniug  the  settle- 
ment of  estates  or  other  matters,  where  the  opinion 
and  advice  of  a  man  of  marked  good  judgment  were 
needed.  The  first  time  I  ever  saw  Captain  James 
Blackstone,  he  was  pointed  out  to  me  by  a  resident 
of  the  town,  as  he  was  driving  past  the  old  public 
square,  with  the  remark:  'That  is  Captain  James 
Blackstone.  When  he  rises  in  a  town  meeting  and 
says,  "Mr.  Moderator,  in  my  humble  opinion  it  is 
better  for  this  town  that  a  certain  course  be  taken," 
the  expression  of  his  opinion  always  prevails  with 
the  majority  of  the  voters  in  the  meeting,  so  great  is 
the  confidence  the  people  of  the  town  have  in  his 
judgment.'  His  character  and  remarkable  ability 
can  be  easily  read  by  any  student  of  physiognomy 
who  will  look  at  the  admirable  life-size  portrait  of 
him  now  placed  in  this  building.  If  his  tastes  had 
led  him  to  a  larger  place  for  the  exercise  of  his 
ability,  no  field  would  have  been  so  large  that  he 
would  not  have  been  a  leader  among  men. 

"  Yet  here  he  chose  to  dwell,  performing  his  part 
well  through  the  whole  of  his  long  life.     .     .     . 

"  The  donor  of  this  library  was  the  youngest  son  of 
James  Blackstone.  To  many  of  you  his  history  and 
life  are  well  known.  He  left  the  east  more  than 
forty  years  ago  to  pursue  his  chosen  profession.  He 
married,  in  1868,  Miss  Isabella  Norton  of  Norwich, 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  33 

and  since  that  time  his  home  has  been  upon  Michi- 
gan Avenue,  in  that  great  metropolis  of  the  west, 
Chicago.  There,  for  over  thirty  years  he  has  man- 
aged with  consummate  skill  the  affairs  of  the  most 
successful  of  all  the  great  railroads  of  the  west.  Of 
him,  his  character,  his  generosity,  and  his  remarkable 
modesty,  but  great  ability,  I  am  not  at  liberty  to 
speak  .  .  .  but  this  is  not  complete  as  a  memorial  of 
James  Blackstone  unless  I  mention  briefly  the  other 
descendants.  The  eldest  son  of  James  Blackstone, 
George,  died  in  1861,  never  having  been  married. 
The  eldest  daughter,  Mary,  married  Samuel  O.  Plant. 
One  of  her  daughters,  Ellen  Plant,  is  with  us  to-day. 
Three  grandchildren  of  Mrs.  Mary  Blackstone  Plant, 
being  the  children  of  her  daughter  Sarah,  are  Wil- 
liam L.,  Paul  W.,  and  Gertrude  P.  Harrison. 

"  The  second  son  of  James  Blackstone,  Lorenzo 
Blackstone,  who  lived  for  many  years  in  Norwich 
and  died  there  in  1888,  had  five  children.  The  eld 
est,  De  Trafford  Blackstone,  has  one  son,  Lorenzo 
The  second  child  of  Lorenzo  is  Mrs.  Harriet  Black 
stone  Camp  of  Norwich,  who  has  three  children 
Walter  Trumbull,  Talcott  Hale,  and  Elizabeth  Nor 
ton  Camp.  The  second  daughter  of  Lorenzo  is  Mrs 
Frances  Ella  Huntington  of  Norwich.  The  fourth 
child  of  Lorenzo  Blackstone  is  William  Norton  Black 
stone  of  Norwich ;  and  his  youngest  son,  Louis  Lo' 
renzo  Blackstone,  died  in  1893. 


34 


Henry  Bradley  Plant 


"  The  second  daughter  of  James  Blackstone,  Ellen 
Elizabeth,  married  Henry  B.  Plant,  now  of  New 
York  City.  She  died  in  1861,  leaving  one  son,  Mor- 
ton F.  Plant,  who  is  married  and  has  one  son,  Henry 
B.  Plant,  Jr.  James  Blackstone's  third  son  was  John 
Blackstone,  who  died  several  years  ago,  leaving  three 
children,  George  and  Adelaide  Blackstone  and  Mrs. 
Emma  Pond. 

"  Sir  William  Blackstone,  the  great  authority  upon 
the  common  law  of  England,  was  a  cousin  of  the 
fifth  degree  to  our  James  Blackstone,  and  the  por- 
traits of  the  two  men  bear  a  marked  family  resem- 
blance. 

"  Ten  years  ago  James  Blackstone  passed  to  his  re- 
ward. His  influence  for  good  still  exists  in  this 
community,  where  the  old  New  England  ideas  are 
yet  strong,  though  modified  by  the  leaven  of  modern 
industry,  education,  and  thought." 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Plants  Came  from  England  to  Branford,  between  Two  Hun- 
dred and  Three  Hundred  Years  ago— Still  Own  the  Lands  First 
Acquired — Henry's  Father  Died  of  Typhus  Fever  when  Henry 
was  about  Six  Years  Old— His  Tender  Recollection  of  his  Mother 
—Henry's  First  Day  at  School— His  Natural  Diffidence— Mr, 
Plant's  After-Dinner  Speeches — His  Mother's  Second  Marriage — 
Stepfather  Kind  to  Henry— Thrown  by  a  Plough  Horse  and  nearly 
Killed— Attended  School  at  Branford— Engaged  on  Steamboat 
Line  Running  between  New  Haven  and  New  York — On  Leaving, 
Promised  a  Captaincy— Marriage— Express  Business— Leaves 
New  Haven  and  Goes  to  New  York— Romantic  Experience  in 
Florida. 

THE  Plants  settled  in  Branford  at  an  early  date, 
and  their  descendants  still  own  the  lands  on 
which  their  ancestoi's  first  settled  over  two  hundred 
years  ago.  It  will  be  seen,  by  referring  to  the  gene- 
alogical table  at  the  end  of  this  volume,  that  Ander- 
son Plant  was  of  the  fifth  generation  from  John 
Plant,  who  resided  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  1639. 
Anderson  Plant  was  the  father  of  Henry  B.  Plant, 
the  subject  of  this  biography.  He  is  described  as  a 
farmer  in  good  circumstances,  of  amiable  disposition, 
fond  of  outdoor  sports,   gunning  being  a  favorite 

35 


36  The  Life  of 

amusement.  He  died  when  Henry  was  six  years  of 
age,  and,  consequently,  Mr.  Plant  does  not  remember 
much  about  his  father.  He  can  recall,  how  his  father 
once  came  in,  with  a  friend,  from  a  morning's  duck 
shooting,  and  threw  down  half  a  dozen  ducks  on  the 
floor.  At  another  time,  his  father  took  him  by  the 
hand  to  see  something  that  was  happening  in  the 
town  which  had  drawn  out  the  people,  but  he  does 
not  remember  what  it  was.  His  father  died  of  ty- 
phus fever,  and  he  himself  also  had  the  fever,  and 
was  so  ill  that  he  knew  nothing  of  his  loss  until  he 
was  partially  recovered  from  the  dreadful  disease. 

One  week  after  the  father's  death,  the  father's 
youngest  sister  died,  and  Henry's  sister  also  died  a 
few  days  following,  when  she  was  about  a  year  old. 
He  was  then  left  alone  with  his  mother. 

She  was  the  only  daughter  of  the  Honorable  Levi 
Bradley.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  and 
also  a  musician  who  taught  a  singing  school.  Mr. 
Plant  remembers  that  his  mother  sat  with  the  choir 
in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  led  the  singing  in  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  She  had  been  brought  up  in 
the  Episcopal  Church,  and  though  her  father  did  not 
ap])rove  of  it,  she  deemed  it  her  duty  to  go  with  her 
husband  to  his  church. 

"  One  of  the  first  recollections  I  have  of  my  mother," 
says  Mr.  Plant,  "  was  on  a  Christmas  Eve,  when  she 
dressed  me  up  neatly,  took  me  on  her  knees,  talked 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  37 

affectionately  to  me,  and  sang  that  beautiful  vesper 
hymn,  *  Adeste  Fideles ' ;  even  now,  whenever  I  hear 
it,  it  brings  tears  to  my  eyes."  This  explains  tears 
the  author  has  seen  in  his  eyes  while  listening  to  the 
orchestra  in  the  music-room,  but  knew  not  then  what 
were  their  tender  and  sacred  association.  Little  did 
that  mother  realize  the  mighty  power,  the  subduing 
influence,  the  enduring  benediction  to  her  child  of 
that  simple  act,  the  outgoing  of  the  maternal  heart. 
The  hallowed  influence  of  that  sacred  hour  has  never 
been  effaced  through  long  years,  in  the  whirl  of  busi- 
ness, in  the  varied  conflicts  incident  to  a  public  life, 
in  close  contact  with  civil  war,  within  sound  of  the 
booming  cannon,  and  the  groans  of  the  dying,  away 
in  far  distant  lands,  and  on  stormy  seas.  Yet  amid 
all,  the  hallowed  influence  of  that  sacred  hour,  when 
a  mere  child  on  a  mother's  knee,  has  never  been 
effaced.  How  well  it  accords  with  what  the  poet 
wrote : 

"  I  had  a  mother  once  like  you, 
Who  o'er  my  pillow  hung, 
Kissed  from  my  cheek  the  briny  dew, 
And  taught  ray  infant  tongue. 

"  She,  when  the  nightly  couch  was  spread, 
Would  bow  my  infant  knee, 
And  place  her  hand  upon  my  head, 
And  kneeling,  pray  for  me. 


38  The  Life  ot 

"  Youth  came;  tlie  props  of  virtue  ruled; 
But  oft  at  day's  decline, 
A  marble  touch  my  brow  could  feel, 
Dear  mother  was  it  thine  ? 

"  And  still  that  hand  so  soft  and  fair, 
Has  kept  its  magic  sway. 
As  when  amid  my  curling  hair 
With  gentle  force  it  lay. 

*'  That  hallowed  touch  was  ne'er  forgot, 
And  now  though  time  hath  set 
Stern  manhood's  se;il  upon  my  brows, 
These  temples  feel  it  yet. 

"  And  if  I  e'er  in  Heaven  appear, 

A  mother's  holy  prayer, 
A  mother's  hand  and  gentle  tear, 
That  pointed  to  a  Saviour  dear. 

Will  lead  the  wanderer  there." 

Mr.  Plant's  first  day  at  school  is  another  tender 
memory  connected  with  his  mother.  She  had  dressed 
him  up  in  new  clothes  and  talked  to  him  about  go- 
ing to  school  and  learning  to  read,  and  becoming  a 
good  scholar,  and  doubtless  much  more  that  her 
kindly  mother-heart  would  suggest  to  awaken  inter- 
est and  stimulate  ambition  in  the  boy.  Then  she 
took  him  outside  the  gate,  pointed  out  the  school- 
house,  kissed  him,  and  told  him  to  go  thither  and 
give  his  name  to  the  teacher  as  a  scholar.  Ilis  mother 
intuitively  knew  her  child's  sensitive  disposition,  and 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  39 

Lad  her  misgivings  about  his  being  able  to  carry  out 
her  instructions ;  so  she  concealed  herself  and  watched 
him  till  he  reached  the  school  door.  Here  poor  lit- 
tle Henry's  courage  failed  him,  and  he  came  running 
back  to  his  mother,  not  to  be  scolded,  but  to  be  en- 
couraged and  helped  over  his  childish  timidity.  His 
mother  this  time  went  with  him  to  the  schoolhouse, 
took  him  in,  and  made  him  acquainted  with  the  lady 
teacher.  Thus  began,  more  than  seventy  years  ago, 
tho  first  lesson  of  this  most  successful  man.  The 
scene  is  as  vivid  in  his  mind  to-day  as  it  was  on  the 
day  when  it  was  enacted.  How  little  that  teacher 
knew  of  the  man  that  was  enfolded  in  this  timid 
child,  and  of  the  great  privilege,  as  well  as  great  re- 
sponsibility, that  was  hers,  thus  early  preparing  him, 
in  part,  for  his  great  career. 

Henry  was  a  very  diffident  child,  nor  did  his  diffi- 
dence quite  cease  with  childhood,  for  even  in  man- 
hood at  public  dinners  when  he  suspected  that  he 
might  be  called  on  for  a  speech,  it  took  away  his 
appetite  if  not  the  enjoyment  of  the  otherwise 
pleasant  occasion. 

This  will  surprise  many  of  Mr.  Plant's  friends  who 
have  listened  to  him  with  pleasure  and  profit  on 
many  occasions.  He  rarely  prepared  his  speeches, 
but  drew  his  ideas  from  that  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence which  he  possessed  on  so  many  different  sub- 
jects, and  always  spoke  intelligently  in  plain,  clear. 


40  The  Life  of 

well-chosen  words,  without  any  attempt  at  oratorical 
display.     Of  this  we  shall  speak  in  another  place. 

"  Some  time  after  my  father's  death,  perhaps  three 
or  four  years,"  says  Mr.  Plant,  "  my  mother  married 
again,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Philemon  Iloadley. 
He  was  a  very  religious  man,  and  was  exceedingly 
kind  to  me  ;  he  said  I  was  the  best  boy  he  had  ever 
seen.  He  lived  in  New  York  State,  and  mother  left 
Branford  and  we  moved  to  his  home  at  Martensburg, 
New  York.  I  lived  part  of  the  time  with  her  there 
and  part  of  the  time  with  my  grandmother  Plant  at 
Branford.  She  always  attended  church  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  took  me  with  her,  never  failing  to  carry  a 
good  luncheon,  which  we  ate  in  the  church  house  at 
the  close  of  the  morning  service." 

An  incident  of  Mr.  Plant's  boyhood  was  sent  to 
the  writer  by  one  who  has  known  him  long,  and 
esteems  the  President  of  the  Southern  Express  Com- 
pany, (of  which  he  has  been  a  faithful  and  efficient 
agent  in  North  Carolina  for  many  years)  very  highly, 
and  loves  him  with  a  genuine,  manly  affection.  He 
writes  thus : 

"The  following  incident  which  occurred  in  Bran- 
ford during  Mr.  Plant's  boyhood  may  be  of  interest 
to  you,  in  showing  how  near  the  country  came  to 
being  deprived  of  his  great  usefulness  and  noble 
life.  When  a  boy  of  about  eight  or  ten  years  of 
age,  he   was  one  day  riding  a  plow  horse  at  work 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  41 

in  the  field.  The  borse  became  frightened  and  ran 
away,  carrying  plow,  boy,  and  all  with  him.  Bare- 
footed and  bareheaded,  the  brave  lad  clung  to  the 
horse  until  entirely  exhausted,  when  he  fell  and  was 
severely  injured.  He  was  found  in  the  woods  by 
friends  who  carried  him  into  their  house.  After 
several  hours'  hard  work  by  the  doctor  and  others, 
he  revived  sufficiently  to  be  taken  to  his  home.  The 
fight  for  life  was  severe  and  protracted,  but  he  bore 
it  heroically. 

"  I  wish  I  could  express  all  I  feel  towards  Mr. 
Plant.  I  have  been  in  his  employ  thirty-eight  years 
— with  the  Southern  Express  Company.  During  all 
these  years  he  has  been  a  friend  to  me  in  all  that 
that  word  implies.  I  am  sure  I  voice  the  sentiments 
of  thousands  of  his  employees  when  I  say  that  he  is 
one  of  the  noblest  and  best  of  men.  A.  P.  B." 

After  his  mother  married  and  had  lived  for  some 
time  at  her  husband's  home  in  New  York  State,  they 
went  to  live  at  New  Haven  and  Henry  made  his 
home  with  them,  often  visiting  his  grandmother 
Plant  at  Branford.  The  grandmother  wanted  him 
to  go  to  Yale  College,  doubtless  in  the  hope  that  he 
might  enter  the  ministry,  for  few  took  a  college 
course  in  those  days  unless  they  intended  to  enter 
the  ministry.  But  Henry  was  not  particularly  fond 
of  study.     He  had   attended  the  district  school  at 


42  The  Life  of 

Branford,  and  had  studied  for  a  time  at  the  Gillett 
Academy,  and  at  Lowville,  New  York  State.  He 
had  also  studied  under  John  E.  Lovell,  a  famous 
teacher  in  New  Haven,  whose  birthday  was  cele- 
brated in  New  Haven,  long  after  his  death.  He  w^as 
the  founder  of  the  Lancastrian  System  of  instruction 
in  America.  Henry  did  not  accept  his  grandmother's 
offer  of  a  college  course  at  Yale.  He  was  anxious 
to  try  his  hand  at  some  active  occupation.  He 
attempted  several  things,  none  of  which  seemed  to 
suit  him.  At  last,  in  1837,  he  engaged  himself  to  a 
steamboat  line  running  boats  between  New  York 
and  New  Haven. 

The  boats  of  the  line  were  named  respectively. 
New  Yorh,  New  Haven,  The  Splendid,  The  Superior, 
and  The  Bunler  Hill. 

Henry  began  as  captain's  boy  and  worked  his  way 
up,  filling  various  positions  for  some  five  years,  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  company,  so  that  on  leaving 
it  he  was  promised  a  captaincy  of  the  next  new  boat 
if  he  would  remain  with  the  line.  The  following 
account,  taken  from  a  recent  issue  of  The  Marine 
Journal,  shows  how  young  Plant  would  pocket  his 
fastidiousness,  and  stand  up  to  manly  duty  like  a  true 
American.  This  recalls  the  story  of  a  man  in  a  Phila- 
delphia market  who  tendered  his  services  to  an  Irish 
coachman,  who  was  troubled  to  find  a  man  to  carry 
home  some  fish  which  he  had  boucfht  for  his  master. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  43 

Arriving  at  the  fine  mansion  on  Chestnut  Street  the 
Irishman  offered  to  pay  his  porter,  who  respectfully- 
declined  saying:  "  Oh,  no,  I  only  just  carried  the  fish 
to  oblige  you.  I  do  not  need  pay.  I  am  a  United 
States  Senator.     Good  morning." 

"  There  are  few  men  who  can  call  to  mind  more  in- 
teresting reminiscences  of  'Auld  Lang  Syne,'  and 
tell  them  in  a  more  agreeable  manner  than  Henry  B. 
Plant.  Referring  to  his  early  manhood,  Mr.  Plant 
said  recently:  '  I  got  my  first  experience  in  the  ex- 
press business  when  performing  the  service  of  a  deck- 
hand on  a  steamboat  running  between  New  Haven 
and  New  York  in  the  latter  part  of  the  "  thirties." 
At  the  time  referred  to  I  was  employed  on  the  side- 
wheel  steamer  New  Yorh,  which  had  for  companion 
steamers  the  New  Haven,  Splendid,  and  Buiiker  Hilly 
on  each  one  of  which  I  served  at  one  time  or  another. 
It  was  on  the  Neio  Yorh,  however,  that  I  spent  the 
most  of  my  apprenticeship.  The  deck-hands  slept 
below  in  the  forecastle,  an  uncomfortably  small  space 
in  the  "  eyes  "  of  the  boat,  and  took  our  meals  in  the 
kitchen,  standing  up.  Take  it  all  in  all  it  was  rather 
rough  on  a  fellow  that  had  just  left  a  good  home, 
and  when  some  of  my  towns-people  would  come 
aboard  and  catch  me  with  swab  or  broom  in  hand  I 
didn't  feel  altogether  happy,  but  had  too  much  pluck 
to  quit.  One  winter  the  New  Yoi^h  had  been  laid 
up  for  new  boilers,  and  I  was  transferred  to  the  Splen- 


44  The  Life  of 

did  till  the  New  Yorh  was  ready  for  service,  and 
when  she  came  out  in  the  spring  it  was  quite  an 
event.  She  had  two  new  copper  boilers,  one  on 
each  guard,  the  first  to  be  placed  on  the  guards, 

" '  Up  to  this  time  a  considerable  lot  of  package 
freight,  express  matter,  began  to  be  sent  back  and 
forth.  This  was  stowed  in  different  places  about  the 
boat  and  not  properly  cared  for,  until  one  day  the 
captain  conceived  the  idea  that  a  big  double  state- 
room forward  of  the  wheel  could  be  used  in  which  to 
store  it,  and  I  was  given  the  duty  of  looking  after  it, 
and  a  berth  was  put  up  there  for  me  to  sleep  in.  As 
I  look  back  upon  my  career  in  those  days,  the  one  on 
which  I  was  transferred  from  the  dingy  forecastle  to 
the  express  room  was  by  far  the  happiest,  and  it  was 
there  that  I  took  my  first  lessons  in  the  express  busi- 
ness.' "  Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  extensive 
business  of  the  Southern  Express  Company,  of  which 
Ml".  Plant  was  the  founder,  and  which  begins  at 
Washington  and  extends  throughout  the  railroads 
south  of  Washington  and  the  Ohio,  excepting  the 
Illinois  Central,  and  to  Cuba  by  the  Plant  Steam- 
ship Lines,  can  understand  why  it  has  taken  nearly 
a  lifetime  of  earnest  toil  to  get  it  up  to  its  present 
magnitude.  It  is  a  monument  to  the  enterprise  of 
the  youngster  from  Connecticut,  who  got  his  first  idea 
of  the  express  business  on  a  steamer  between  New 
Haven  and  New  York  nearly  sixty  years  ago.     The 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  45 

other  large  undertakings  of  Mr.  Plant  in  railroads, 
steamships,  hotels,  etc.,  that  have  helped  make  the 
State  of  Florida  the  garden  spot  of  the  United  States 
in  winter,  were  easy  as  their  necessities  developed,  in 
comparison  to  the  Southern  Express  business  which 
was  the  foundation  of  this  enterprising  citizen's  fame 
and  fortune." 

Captain  Stone  was  very  fond  of  young  Plant,  and 
deeply  regretted  his  loss  to  the  service.  It  was  dur- 
ing Mr.  Plant's  engagement  with  this  company,  in 
1842,  that  he  married  Miss  Ellen  Elizabeth  Black- 
stone,  daughter  of  Hon.  James  Blackstone,  one  of  the 
Blackstone  family  already  referred  to  in  this  biogra- 
phy. One  son  was  born  to  him,  a  promising  child, 
who  lived  only  eighteen  months.  His  second  and 
only  living  child  is  his  son,  Morton  Freeman,  now 
associated  with  his  father  as  his  assistant,  and  Vice- 
President  of  all  the  interests  of  the  "  Plant  System," 
over  which  his  father  presides.  Mr.  Plant's  position 
on  the  steamboat  line  plying  between  New  York 
and  New  Haven,  entailed  a  frequent  absence  from 
his  home  in  New  Haven,  and  he  therefore  decided  to 
be  more  at  home.  At  this  time  he  went  into  the 
express  business  of  the  line  conducted  by  Beecher 
and  Company.  At  first  he  had  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness at  New  Haven,  but  afterwards  went  to  New 
York  City,  still  keeping  up  his  connection  with  the 
boats.    When  the  Beecher  Company  was  consolidated 


46  The  Life  of 

with  the  Hartford  and  New  Haven  line,  owned  by- 
Daniel  Philipps  and  C.  Spooner  of  Hartford,  Mr. 
Plant  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  the  express  business 
of  the  New  Haven  line  in  New  York.  Subsequently 
the  business  was  acquired  by  the  Adams  Express 
Company,  and  was  transferred  from  the  steamboat  line 
to  the  railroad,  and  Mr.  Plant  was  transferred  with  it. 
While  thus  employed,  young  Plant  was  economical 
and  saving.  He  received  his  pay  monthly,  and  in- 
stead of  wasting  it  in  folly  and  dissipation  he  gave  his 
earnings  to  his  mother,  and  she  banked  it  for  him.  He 
then  bought  some  stock  in  a  New  Haven  bank  which 
he  still  retains.  His  stepfather,  being  a  religious 
man,  advised  Henry  to  buy  a  pew  in  a  new  church 
which  the  Congregational  Society  was  building  at 
New  Haven.  This  he  did,  and  in  after  years,  on  the 
failure  of  the  church,  when  the  property  was  sold,  he 
got  back  his  money.  His  stepfather  died  at  New 
Haven  about  1862  or  1863. 

It  was  in  1853  that  Mrs.  Plant  was  seized  with  con- 
gestion of  the  lungs,  and  Doctors  Delafield  and  Marco 
advised  that  she  be  at  once  taken  to  Florida.  On 
March  25, 1853,  Mr.  Plant  started  with  his  sick  wife 
from  New  York  City  to  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
by  the  steamer  Marion.  From  Charleston  he  sailed 
on  the  steamer  Calhoun  to  Savannah,  Georgia.  And 
from  Savannah  he  went  by  the  steamer  WelaJca  to 
Jacksonville,  Florida.     It  took  over  eight  days  to 


Ellen  Elizabeth   (Blackstone)  Plant. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  47 

make  the  journey  which  is  now  a  delightful  trip  of 
one  day,  for  he  left  New  York  on  the  Sabbath  morn- 
ing and  the  next  Sabbath  evening  he  arrived  at  Jack- 
sonville, which  was  a  small  village  then  with  only 
one  poor  wharf  and  not  a  vehicle  of  any  kind  to 
carry  passengers  or  baggage.  He  succeeded  in  get- 
ting some  negro  boys  to  carry  his  trunk  to  a  poor 
hotel  where  he  remained  only  one  day.  Through 
some  persuasion  he  found  a  man  to  take  him  into  his 
private  house  at  Strawberry  Mills,  seven  miles  in  the 
country  from  Jacksonville,  across  the  St.  John's 
River.  Here  Mrs.  Plant's  health  greatly  improved, 
her  cough  disappeared  and  she  was  so  much  better 
that  by  the  first  of  May,  Mr.  Plant  was  able  to 
leave  her  and  return  to  New  York.  Early  in  July, 
Mrs.  Plant  came  back  to  the  city  apparently  in  good 
health.  The  following  almost  romantic  story  is  told 
in  the  New  York  Times  of  their  first  experience  in 
Florida. 

"In  the  winter  of  1853,  a  Northern  man  wath  an 
invalid  wife  brought  her  dow^n  to  Jacksonville  to 
benefit  her  health.  The  present  metropolis  of  Florida 
was  then  a  settlement  of  five  or  six  houses,  one  of 
which  was  called  a  hotel,  but  the  hotel  was  so  badly 
kept  that  the  gentleman  was  cautioned  against  go- 
ing to  it,  and  he  found  accommodations  in  a  private 
house.  He  had  letters  of  introduction  to  a  Florida 
settler,  whose  home  was  six  or  eight  miles  out  of 


48  The  Life  of 

Jacksonville,  and  as  soon  as  be  could  communicate 
with  him  through  a  stray  traveller,  the  settler  sent 
his  boat  after  the  Noi-therner  and  took  him  to  his 
house.  The  boat  was  an  immense  '  dug-out,'  made 
from  a  single  mammoth  log,  manned  by  a  crew  of 
uniformed  blacks,  who  handled  their  oars  in  man-of- 
war  style.  At  this  settler's  house  a  hospitable  and 
comfortable  stopping-place  was  found. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  winter  the  lady's  health  im- 
proved to  such  an  extent  that  her  husband  decided 
upon  taking  her  to  St.  Augustine  for  a  pleasure  trip. 
There  was  in  the  household  a  beautiful  Indian  girl, 
the  daughter  of  one  of  the  Seminole  chiefs,  who  af- 
terward became  the  wife  of  the  settler  I  have  men- 
tioned, and  she  volunteered  to  accompany  the  lady 
on  what  was  then  the  long  and  difficult  journey. 
The  only  road  between  Jacksonville  and  St.  Augus- 
tine was  the  old  Spanish  highway  known  as  'the 
king's  highroad,'  and  this  was  so  grown  up  with  trees 
and  bushes  that  it  was  barely  passable.  But  even 
this  road  lay  five  or  six  miles  from  the  settler's  house, 
and  to  reach  it  it  was  necessary  to  drive  through 
the  trackless  woods.  The  gentleman  and  his  wife 
and  the  Indian  girl  set  out  in  a  buggy,  their  host 
going  before  them  on  horseback  to  select  the  road 
and  blaze  the  trees  between  his  place  and  the  king's 
highway,  to  enable  the  strangers  to  find  their  way 
back. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  49 

"  The  journey  was  made  in  safety ;  but  the  return 
trip  took  a  little  longer  than  was  intended,  and  the 
party  found  themselves  at  the  point  where  they  must 
leave  the  old  highway  and  turn  into  the  forest  just 
as  the  deep  shades  of  a  Florida  night  were  about  to 
fall.  They  found  the  blazed  trees,  but  were  unable 
to  follow  them.  The  gentleman,  however,  managed 
for  some  time  to  pick  his  way  by  finding  the  indis- 
tinct wheel  tracks  in  the  sand  and  the  broken  twigs ; 
but  as  the  darkness  increased  this  became  impracti- 
cable, and  there  was  every  prospect  that  the  invalid 
lady  and  her  husband  and  the  Indian  girl  would  be 
compelled  to  spend  the  night  under  the  pine  trees. 
But  their  host  was  better  acquainted  with  blazed 
trees,  and,  as  they  did  not  arrive  when  expected,  he 
set  out  on  horseback  to  hunt  them  up,  and  his  shouts 
soon  gave  them  welcome  assurance  of  succor.  The 
lady's  health  was  so  much  improved  before  the  winter 
ended  that  she  returned  home  comparatively  well, 
and  during  the  remainder  of  her  life  every  winter 
was  passed  in  Florida.  Her  husband  has  not  since 
that  time  missed  his  annual  winter  trip  to  Florida, 
and  he  is  now  spending  his  thirty-ninth  winter  in  the 
State. 

"  The  gentleman  who  found  Jacksonville  a  settle- 
ment of  a  few  shanties,  and  who  came  so  near  pass- 
ing a  romantic  but  uncomfortable  night  in  the  woods 
with  his  wife  and  the  Seminole  girl,  told  me  the 


50 


Henry  Bradley  Plant 


story  of  his  adventure  a  few  days  ago,  while  I  sat 
with  him  in  his  gorgeous  private  car,  so  far  down  in 
the  State  of  Florida  that,  in  1853,  few  white  men  had 
reached  it.  The  Florida  climate  never  did  a  better 
winter's  work  than  when  it  restored  the  health  of 
this  gentleman's  wife,  and  thus  interested  him  in  the 
new  country,  for  the  gentleman  was  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant, 
who  no  longer  does  his  Florida  travelling  in  a  dug- 
out, but  sends  his  own  cars  over  his  own  tracks  to 
the  farthermost  corners  of  the  State." 


CHAPTER  V. 


Mr.  Plant  Goes  from  New  Haven  to  New  York— Captain  Stone's 
Friendship— Mrs.  Plant's  Health  Fails  again — Returns  to  the  South — 
Is  Appointed  Superintendent  of  Adams  Express  Company — His  Great 
Executive  Ability— The  Civil  War— Mrs.  Plant's  Death— Mr.  Plant 
Buys  out  the  Adams  Express  Company. 

WHEN  Mr.  Plant  first  went  to  New  York  City 
he  boarded  at  the  Jiidson  Hotel,  then  kept 
by  a  Mr.  Judson  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  A  little 
incident  of  that  period  shows  the  high  estimation  in 
which  he  was  held  by  Captain  Stone,  Superintend- 
ent of  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  steamship 
line.  Captain  S.  Bartlett  Stone  brought  his  son 
Greorge  to  board  at  the  Hudson  Hotel,  saying, 
"Henry,  when  you  were  a  boy  I  took  charge  of 
you  ;  now  do  you  the  same  for  my  son."  Mr.  Plant 
remained  in  New  York  until  October,  when  the  fall 
weather  of  the  North  began  to  affect  the  health  of 
his  wife  unfavoi-ably.  He  then  started  South  by 
the  steamship  Ktwxville,  which  ran  to  Savannah. 
When  he  reached  Savannah  he  commenced  to  exercise 
his  appointment  as  superintendent  of  the  Harnden 
Express,  which  forwarded  express  matter  from  New 
51 


52  The  Life  of 

York  by  steamer  to  Savannah,  and  thence  to  Augusta, 
Macon,  and  Atlanta,  by  the  Central,  Macon,  and 
Western  Railroads;  and  also  in  Charleston,  of  the 
Hoey  Express,  by  which  goods  were  forwarded  by 
steamer  from  New  York  to  Charleston  and  were 
then  distributed  through  the  interior  by  the  South 
Carolina  Hailroad. 

About  this  time,  Adams  &  Company  had  organ- 
ized under  the  coi-porate  title  of  the  Adams  Express 
Company,  and  had  acquired  all  these  express  inter- 
ests above  mentioned.  This  was  in  March,  1853, 
and  April,  1854.  The  chief  shareholders  of  the 
company  were  Alvan  Adams,  of  Boston;  William 
B.  Dinsmore,  of  New  York ;  Edward  S.  Sanford, 
of  Philadelphia ;  Samuel  S.  Shoemaker,  of  Balti- 
more ;  James  M.  Thompson,  of  Springfield,  Massa- 
chusetts; Johnstone  Livingstone,  of  New  York;  and 
R  B.  Kinsley,  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island.  When 
it  was  found  necessary  for  Mr.  Plant  to  go  south 
again  on  account  of  his  wife's  health  he  was  appointed 
superintendent  of  the  Adams  Express  Company. 
This  was  in  1854,  and  he  was  placed  in  charge  of 
all  the  interests  then  controlled  by  that  company, 
and  all  that  might  be  acquired  by  the  company  in 
the  South  under  his  management  or  through  his 
efforts. 

During  Mr.  Plant's  administration  of  the  Adams 
Express  Company,  the  lines  were  extended  over  all 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  53 

the  railroads  south  of  the  Potomac  River,  namely, 
Norfolk,  Richmond,  and  Lynchburg,  Virginia ;  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky ;  Cairo,  Illinois,  and  over  all  the 
railroad  lines  constructed  in  the  South,  and  over 
all  the  navigable  rivers  on  which  at  that  time  there 
was  steamboat  connection.  The  expanding  and 
establishing  of  this  great  express  business  at  Nash- 
ville, Memphis,  Vicksburg,  Louisville,  and  New 
Orleans,  and  many  other  cities  and  towns,  proved  to 
be  a  herculean  task  requiring  much  arduous  travel, 
often  in  stage-coaches  by  day  and  night,  over  rough 
roads,  through  swamp  and  forest,  in  summer's  heat 
and  winter's  cold.  It  goes  without  saying  that  in 
securing  efficient  service,  properly  locating  offices, 
appointing  qualified  agents,  and  earning  the  confi- 
dence and  patronage  of  an  exacting  public,  there  was 
demanded  a  discriminating  judgment,  prompt  de- 
cision, skill,  and  tact  of  the  highest  order.  It  was  a 
tremendous  strain  on  mind  and  body,  and  that  too 
upon  one  not  yet  used  to  a  Southern  climate.  It 
must  be  remembered  also  that  the  express  business 
of  the  South  forty  years  ago  was  in  its  infancy ;  the 
great  Adams  Express  Company  was  still  in  its 
swaddling  clothes,  and  required  the  greatest  care 
and  skill  to  nurse  it  into  maturity,  strength,  and 
power,  especially  in  the  peculiar  condition  of  the 
country  at  the  time  when  a  dreadful  civil  war  raged 
throughout  the  land. 


54  The  Life  of 

Few  men  would  have  ventured  on  such  a  hazard- 
ous undertaking,  and  fewer  still  would  have  con- 
ducted it  to  such  a  successful  completion. 

To  the  cool,  clear  head,  the  calm,  quiet  spirit,  the 
persistent  energy  and  dominant  will  of  Henry  B. 
Plant,  is  due  the  success  of  this  great  achievement. 
The  Southern  Express  Company  and  the  Texas  Ex- 
press together  do  a  business  now  extending  over 
twenty-four  thousand  four  hundred  and  twelve  miles 
of  railway,  have  lines  in  fifteen  States,  employ  six 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  eight  men,  use  one  thou- 
sand four  hundred  and  sixty-three  horses  and  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-six  wagons.  Of  both  these  com- 
panies, Mr.  Plant  is  the  honored  and  efficient  presi- 
dent, and  were  we  to  attempt  to  estimate  the  amount 
and  value  of  the  goods  handled  by  these  great  organi- 
zations we  feel  sure  the  figures  would  be  beyond  the 
credulity  of  our  readers. 

This  comes  down  to  the  year  1861,  the  beginning 
of  the  civil  war,  when  the  Adams  Express  Company, 
believing  that  it  would  be  hazardous  for  Northern 
citizens  to  hold  property  in  the  South,  decided  to 
dispose  of  their  interests  there.  After  unsuccessful 
negotiations  with  other  parties  resident  in  the  South, 
the  company  sold  and  transferred  their  entire  inter- 
est in  the  express  line  to  Henry  B.  Plant.  He  formed 
a  corporation  under  the  laws  of  the  State  of  Georgia, 
taking  in  all  the  shareholders  of  the  Adams  Express 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  55 

Company  wlio  were  then  residents  of  the  States 
south  of  the  Potomac  and  Ohio  rivers. 

The  company  thus  formed,  known  now  as  the 
Southern  Express  Company,  at  once  elected  Mr. 
Plant  as  its  president,  and  this  honorable  and  re- 
sponsible position  he  still  holds.  A  central  office 
was  established  at  Augusta,  Georgia. 

Mrs.  Plant's  health  now  began  to  give  way.  Their 
little  boy  Morton  was  with  relatives  in  the  North. 
She  saw  that  troubles  many  and  great  were  coming 
upon  the  country.  Her  disease  returned,  consump- 
tion laid  its  cold  hand  upon  her,  and  on  February 
28,  1861,  this  faithful  wife  and  loving  mother  was 
taken  from  a  world  of  strife,  with  its  tumults  of  war 
and  fratricidal  conflicts,  to  the  home  of  rest,  peace, 
and  eternal  blessedness.  The  remains  were  interred 
in  Augusta,  but  afterwards  were  removed  to  the 
family  plot  in  the  cemetery  at  Branford,  the  place  of 
her  birth  and  where  her  early  years  had  been  spent. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Relations  to  the  Confederate  Government— Jefferson  Davis  Gives 
him  Charge  of  Confederate  Funds— Mr.  Plant  Buys  aSlave,  who  after- 
ward Nursed  him  through  a  Severe  Sickness— Impaired  Health— Goes 
to  Bermuda,  New  York,  Canada,  and  Europe— Second  Marriage. 

THE  seat  of  the  Confederate  Government  at  this 
time  was  Montgomery,  Alabama,  and  the 
express  company,  just  organized  by  Mr.  Plant,  was 
appointed  by  that  government  collector  of  tariff 
upon  all  goods  consigned  by  the  express  company, 
and  was  also  given  the  custody  of  all  funds  of  the 
Confederacy  that  were  to  be  transferred  from  one 
place  to  another.  The  express  company  filled  this 
latter  office  until  the  dissolution  of  the  Confederacy. 

In  consequence  of  this  responsibility,  officers  and 
agents  of  the  company  were  either  relieved  from 
military  service,  or  detailed  for  the  service  of  the 
express  company.  Its  officers  and  agents  were 
also  for  the  same  reason  exempted  from  jury  duty 
in  Southern  States. 

Shortly  before  the  removal  of  the  capital  of  the 
Confederacy  from  Montgomery  to  Richmond,  it  was 

56 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  57 

deemed  necessary  by  government  officials  to  define 
citizenship,  and  consequently  a  pi'oclamation  was 
issued  by  President  Davis,  that  specified  a  time  in 
which  all  citizens  of  States  not  in  the  Confederacy 
should  leave  it,  or  failing  to  do  so  within  the  time 
specified,  would  become  citizens  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  would  be  subject  to  all  duties  and  requirements 
of  citizenship  in  the  said  Confederacy. 

"At  that  time  I  thought  it  was  incumbent  on 
me,"  said  Mr.  Plant,  "  that  my  duties  and  opinions 
should  be  understood  by  President  Davis  and  his 
advisers.  To  that  end  I  caused  myself  to  be  repre- 
sented by  counsel  to  Mr.  Davis  and  his  Cabinet,  in 
order  that  my  opinions  and  position  might  be  clearly 
defined  and  known  to  the  government,  so  that  its 
wish  might  be  expressed,  as  to  whether  I  should 
continue  to  have  charge  of  the  express  company 
without  interference,  or  avail  myself  of  the  procla- 
mation, and  take  my  departure  with  other  citizens 
of  the  State  of  New  York. 

"I  wished  to  know  whether  by  remaining  I  would 
be  required  to  abandon  the  express  and  its  obliga- 
tions. It  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  me  to  learn 
from  my  counsel  that  the  Cabinet  were  unanimous 
in  this  decision  expressed  by  the  President,  that 
I  should  remain  and  continue  to  conduct  the  business 
of  my  company,  he  having  full  confidence  in  what- 
ever I  miojht  do." 


58  The  Life  of 

The  substance  of  this  interesting  episode  has  been 
published  before  with  some  slight  variations,  but 
the  above  is  from  the  most  authoritative  source,  and 
may  therefore  be  received  as  correct. 

While  living  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  a  curious  inci- 
dent occurred  which  resulted  in  the  purchase  of  a 
slave  by  Mr.  Plant.  When  the  express  office  was 
opened  at  this  place,  help  was  needed,  a  sort  of 
man-of-all-work  for  the  many  requirements  of  the 
office.  Dennis  Dorsey,  a  colored  man,  was  hired 
from  his  owner  to  act  as  porter,  and  in  whatever 
capacity  he  might  be  required.  One  summer  when 
Mr.  Plant  was  about  to  go  north,  Dennis  came  to 
him  and  said  that  his  master  was  going  to  sell  him, 
and  that  he  wanted  Mr.  Plant  to  buy  him.  "  What 
does  your  master  want  for  you  ? "  asked  Mr.  Plant. 
''Fifteen  hundred  dollars,"  Dennis  replied,  " but  it 
is  too  much,  I  am  not  worth  so  much.  You  can 
buy  me  when  you  come  back,  as  there  is  little 
danger  of  my  being  sold  at  that  price."  But  Dennis 
was  sold  in  Mr.  Plant's  absence.  When  Mr.  Plant 
returned,  Dennis  besought  him  to  buy  him  from  the 
trader  at  Mobile  who  then  owned  him.  Mr.  Plant 
bought  him  for  eighteen  hundred  dollars,  and 
brought  him  back  to  Augusta.  In  a  short  time 
after  this  Mr.  Plant  was  stricken  down  with  gastric 
fever,  and  Dennis  proved  a  good  and  faithful  nurse 
to  him.     Mrs.  Plant  was  in  her  grave,  and  Mr.  Plant 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  59 

lived  alone  at  the  hotel,  so  Dennis  was  gratified  by 
the  opportunity  to  return  the  kindness  rendered  to 
him  by  his  generous  purchaser. 

Early  in  August,  1863,  Mr.  Plant  returned  from 
the  mountains,  whither  he  had  gone  during  his  con- 
valescence. His  health  had  been  improved  by  the 
change,  but  he  was  still  far  from  strong.  Mr. 
Thomas  H.  Watts,  attorney-general  for  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  had  seen  Mr.  Plant's  physician,  who 
had  advised  a  change  of  climate.  Mr.  Watts  sent 
Mr.  Plant  a  passport,  with  an  order  from  President 
Davis  authorizing  him  to  pass  through  the  Con- 
federate lines  at  any  point.  In  about  a  month  after 
this  he  went  to  Wilmington,  North  Carolina,  and 
embarked  on  the  steamer  Hansa,  for  the  Bermudas. 
He  remained  there  about  a  month,  when  he  went 
by  the  steamer  Alpha  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  and 
thence  to  Montreal.  There  some  friends  from  New 
York  came  to  see  him,  and  brought  his  son  Morton 
from  school  to  him.  Mr.  Plant  then  went  to  New 
Haven,  Connecticut,  to  visit  his  mother,  and  in  the 
fall  took  passage  on  the  steamship  City  of  Edin- 
hurgh  for  Liverpool. 

He  was  now  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land  ;  the 
weather  was  cold,  and  with  impaired  health  his  ex- 
perience was  rather  depressing. 

However,  Mr.  Plant  has  never  been  the  man  to 
despond,  still  less  to  despair,  but  to  make  the  best 


60  The  Life  of 

even  of  discouraging  circumstances.  So  he  went  to 
Paris,  whose  mercurial  people  seldom  cry,  and  always 
laugh  when  they  can.  Here  he  heard  of  some  friends 
who  were  staying  in  Rome,  and  whom  he  would 
like  to  meet,  so  he  determined  to  go  there.  By  the 
French  Commissioner  of  Passports  he  was  informed 
that  his  passport  from  the  Confederacy  could  not  be 
recognized,  and  he  was  summoned  to  appear  at  the 
commissioner's  office.  He  at  once  presented  him- 
self to  this  official,  answered  many  questions,  and 
was  informed  that  there  was  no  way  by  which  his 
passport  could  be  accepted  at  present,  but  as  he 
wished  to  visit  Rome,  then  occupied  by  French 
troops,  his  case  would  be  considered. 

A  few  days  afterwards  he  had  the  satisfaction  of 
receiving  a  document  which  served  as  a  passport, 
given  in  the  name  of  the  Empire  of  France,  and  in 
which  he  was  described  as  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  resident  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  and 
all  officers,  civil,  military,  and  naval,  were  com- 
manded to  protect  this  stranger.  He  went  to 
Rome  via  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and  was  received 
everywhere  with  great  respect.  He  w^as  about  two 
weeks  in  France,  several  weeks  in  Rome,  and  from 
thence  he  went  to  Naples,  Leghorn,  Genoa,  Milan, 
and  Venice,  which  latter  place  was  occupied  by  an 
Austrian  army. 

From  Venice  he  went  to  Switzerland,  visiting  many 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  61 

places  in  that  picturesque  laud,  and  returned  to  Paris 
by  way  of  the  Khine.  He  then  passed  his  time  be- 
tween London  and  Paris  until  the  autumn,  when  he 
returned  to  America  by  way  of  Canada.  He  after- 
wards went  to  New  York,  where  he  was  staying 
when  President  Lincoln  was  assassinated.  By  the 
end  of  April  he  was  back  in  Augusta,  Georgia. 

Mr,  Plant's  second  tour  in  Europe  was  in  1873,  on 
the  occasion  of  his  second  marriage.  He  was  then  ac- 
companied by  his  mother  and  his  son,  Morton  Free- 
man, and  on  this  occasion  he  made  quite  an  extensive 
tour  of  the  continent. 

His  third  visit  was  in  the  year  1889,  when  he  went 
to  the  Paris  Exposition  with  an  exhibit  of  Southern 
products.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Paris  he  was 
asked  by  General  Franklin,  representative  and  Com- 
missioner-General of  the  United  States,  to  accept  the 
position  of  juror  in  Class  Six,  representing  the  United 
States.  To  this  responsible  position  he  was  duly  ap- 
pointed by  the  proper  authorities,  and  served  with 
entire  satisfaction  to  all  concerned.  He  was  the  only 
English-speaking  juror  in  that  class,  as  Sir  Doug- 
las Galton  was  absent  until  near  the  close  of  the  Ex- 
position. From  this  Exposition  the  "  Plant  System  " 
was  awarded  a  large  number  of  medals,  which  may 
be  seen  framed  in  that  palace  of  art,  wrongly  named 
an  hotel,  at  Tampa  Bay.  A  diploma  was  given  to 
Mr.  Plant,  in  addition,  and  many  other  marks  of 


62  The  Life  of 

esteem  and  courteous  attention  were  freely  tendered 
him. 

Mr.  Plant  led  a  very  busy  life  in  Augusta.  He 
lived  with  his  wife  at  the  hotel,  and,  when  she  was 
travelling  in  the  North  in  the  summer,  he  had  his 
office,  for  convenience,  on  the  same  floor  as  his  bed- 
room. It  had  been  his  habit  to  keep  pad  and  pencil 
by  his  bedside,  so  that  when  there  came  to  his  mind 
a  matter  that  called  for  attention  he  at  once  put  it 
down  on  his  memoranda.  He  was  constantly  receiv- 
ing reports  from  his  express  offices  all  over  the  South. 
There  came  to  him,  for  adjustment,  many  questions 
of  management  that  were  perplexing  and  urgent,  so 
that  he  was  often  on  the  road,  called  away  at  short 
notice,  north,  south,  or  southwest.  Complications, 
great,  varied,  and  numerous,  were  superinduced  by 
the  civil  war.  The  railroads  were  often  seized  by  the 
contending  armies,  offices  were  raided,  and  confusion 
worse  confounded  heaped  troubles  thick  and  fast 
upon  the  president  of  the  company,  sufficient  to  have 
crushed  a  man  of  ordinary  brain  and  nerve.  But 
Mr.  Plant  was  not  the  man  to  give  way  to  difficul- 
ties,— only  coolly  to  plan,  determine,  execute,  and 
conquer. 

The  following  communication  in  memorandum 
form,  from  one  intimately  acquainted  with  Mr.  and 
MrSo  Plant  while  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  will  be  found 
suggestive  of  the  busy  life  he  led,  and  will  prove 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  63 

valuable  in  furnishing  the  dates  when  he  lived  in 
that  city,  and  the  location  of  his  various  residences 
while  there.  Moreover,  its  sequel  sounds  like  the 
plot  of  a  good  novel. 

"  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Plant  became  residents  of 
Augusta,  Georgia,  in  1854.  Captain  W.  and  his 
wife  moved  to  that  city  in  1855.  Both  families 
boarded  at  the  Eagle  and  Phoenix  Hotel,  and  thus 
became  acquainted.  The  Eagle  and  Phoenix  was  on 
Broad  Street,  and  is  now  believed  to  be  the  property 
of  Mr.  Plant.  Mr.  Plant  was  busy  organizing  and 
developing  the  express  business,  was  continually  on 
the  road,  and  made  frequent  visits  to  the  North.  He 
moved  to  the  Globe  Hotel  about  the  summer  of  1856. 
Captain  W.  and  his  wife  moved  to  the  Trout  House, 
in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  early  in  1858,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Plant  joined  them  there  and  spent  the  summer 
months  with  them,  while  Mr.  Plant  still  made  Au- 
gusta his  headquarters  and  was  constantly  on  the 
road. 

"  On  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plant's  return  to  Augusta  in  the 
fall  of  1858,  they  took  residence  at  the  Planter's  Hotel, 
then  kept  by  Mr.  Bobbins.  In  the  spring  of  1859, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Plant,  leaving  their  young  son  Morton, 
with  Captain  W.  and  his  wife  in  Atlanta,  visited 
New  Orleans  and  remained  there  during  Mardi  Gras. 
Their  stay,  however,  was  much  shortened  by  the 
demands  made  upon  Mr.  Plant's  time  and  attention 


64  The  Life  of 

by  the  celebrated  Maroney  robbery.  Mrs.  Plant's 
health,  which  had  been  failing  for  some  time,  was 
rapidly  growing  worse.  Mr.  Plant's  movements  were 
thus  handicapped,  and  his  trips  necessarily  became 
shorter  and  more  frequent.  Captain  W.  and  wife 
moved  to  Athens  in  April,  1861.  Mrs.  Plant  intended 
to  spend  the  spring  and  summer  of  1862  with  them, 
but  their  plans  were  broken  up  by  her  death,  at 
the  Planter's  Hotel,  Augusta,  February  28,  1862. 

"Mr.  Plant  visited  Athens  shortly  after  the  funeral, 
and  remained  several  weeks;  from  thence  important 
business  called  him  back  to  Augusta.  Health  began 
to  fail  him  and  he  visited  Athens  again  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  It  was  at  this  time  that  his  friends 
prevailed  upon  him  to  pay  a  visit  to  Europe  in  the 
hope  that  his  strength  would  be  restored  to  him. 

"  In  illustration  of  the  good  memory  which  Mr. 
Plant  possessed  for  a  past  kindness,  the  following  in- 
teresting story  is  told.  The  narrator  was  sitting  in  his 
office  talking  with  Mr.  Plant,  when  the  latter  suddenly 
turned  from  him  to  a  clerk  to  instruct  him  in  the 
following  words.  'While  I  remember  it,  I  want 
you  to  write  to  Mrs.  W.  to  say  that  her  request  that 
we  take  charge  of  her  money  is  granted.  We  will 
take  it  and  give  her  six  per  cent.,  this  will  give  her 

dollars  to  pay  for  her  board,  and  we  will  add 

to  it dollars,  which  will  keep  her  comfortably 

among  her  friends.' 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  65 

"The  amount  added  was  veiy  nearly  one  and  a  half 
times  as  large  as  the  interest  on  the  moderate  amount 
of  insurance  which  her  deceased  husband  had  placed 
on  his  life  before  he  died. 

"Then  when  all  arrangements  for  this  poor  widow's 
comfort  had  been  made  with  the  treasurer,  Mr.  Plant, 
not  supposing  that  I  had  ever  heard  of  the  woman, 
explained  that  long  years  ago,  when  his  first  wife 
was  sick  in  Augusta,  this  now  widowed  woman  was 
very  kind  to  her  and  also  to  his  son  Morton  who  was 
then  a  very  little  child.  This  was  thirty-six  years 
ago,  but  it  was  as  fresh  in  Mr.  Plant's  memory,  and 
as  near  to  his  heart  as  if  it  had  occurred  only  a  few 
weeks  ago.  Little  did  this  good  woman  think  at  the 
time  she  rendered  this  kindly  service  to  a  delicate 
wife,  that  thirty-six  years  hence  it  would  be  paid 
back  to  her  with  compound  interest.  It  may  be 
truly  said  that  *  bread  cast  upon  the  waters  shall  re- 
turn after  many  days.' " 

The  Southern  Express  Company  rendered  very 
valuable  services  to  the  men  engaged  on  both  sides 
during  the  Civil  War,  by  carrying  packages,  boxes, 
and  parcels  of  all  descriptions  free  of  charge, — medi- 
cines, and  comforts  of  various  character,  that  made  the 
hard  life  of  the  soldier  a  little  easier,  and  gladdened 
his  heart  with  the  evidences  that  he  was  remembered 
tenderly  in  his  far-away  home.  This  service  was 
especially  acceptable  on  the  occasions  of  exchange 


66  The  Life  of 

of  prisoners,  when  clothing  and  money  were  the 
special  needs  of  the  men. 

The  benediction  of  many  a  brave  heart,  now  still 
in  death,  rests  upon  the  kindly  services  of  the  South- 
ern Express  Company  so  generously  given  during 
the  four  years  of  the  bloody  struggle. 

In  evidence  of  Mr.  Plant's  popularity  and  the  es- 
teem in  which  he  was  held  by  his  associates  in  busi- 
ness as  early  as  1861,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  on 
January  1st  of  that  year,  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  he  was 
made  the  recipient  of  a  magnificent  testimonial  in 
the  form  of  a  service  of  solid  silver  bearing  the  fol- 
lowing inscription : 

PRESENTED    TO 

H.    B.    PLANT 

BY    HIS    ASSOCIATES     IN   THE   ADAMS 

SOUTHERN   EXPRESS 

AS    A   TESTmONIAL    OF    THEIR 

RESPECT   AND    ESTEEM 

AUGUSTA,    GA., 

JANUARY    1,    1861 

In  1873,  eleven  years  after  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Plant  married  Miss  Margaret  Josephine 
Loughman,  the  only  daughter  of  Martin  Loughman, 
of  New  York  City.  She  is  descended  from  an  an- 
cient and  noble  family,  whose  ancestral  estate,  eight 
miles  long,  in  the  Land  of  the  Shamrock,  is  now  oc- 
cupied by  Lord  Dundrum.     Mrs.  Plant's  great  grand- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  67 

mother  on  her  mother's  side  was  Lady  Mary  Murphy, 
of  Ballymore  Castle,  Ballymore.  Her  own  mother 
was  Miss  Ellen  O'Duyer,  said  to  have  been  a  woman 
of  great  beauty  and  to  have  been  descended  from  the 
Kings  of  Munster. 

The  finest  train  of  Pullman  palace  cars  we  ever 
saw  was  prominent  among  the  beautiful  exhibits  at 
the  Atlanta  Exposition  of  last  year  (1896).  Their 
exquisite  upholstering  and  decoration  owed  their 
superlative  finish  to  the  refined  taste  of  Mrs.  Plant. 
The  Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  more  like  a  palace  of  art,  is 
indebted  to  this  same  lady  for  much  of  its  elaborate 
furnishing  and  artistic  adornment.  The  two  hand- 
carved  mantelpieces  in  the  salon,  the  admiration  of 
all  visitors,  as  well  as  some  of  the  fine  cabinet-work 
in  the  gentlemen's  reading-room,  evinced  her  busi- 
ness capacity  and  fine  sense  of  the  fitness  of  beautiful 
furnishing  that  costs  no  more  than  the  plain  and 
commonplace.  She  has  given  much  time  and  earnest 
effort  to  the  selection,  purchase,  and  direction  of  the 
upholstering  and  decorations  of  that  finest  of  Ameri- 
can-built steamships.  La  Orande  DucJiesse,  just  com- 
pleted at  Newport  News. 

The  impress  of  her  forcible  character  and  refined 
taste  can  be  detected  in  many  places  throughout  the 
great  system  over  which  her  husband  so  ably  pre- 
sides, but  is  known  only  to  those  who  are  admitted 
to  the  inner  circles  of  its  operations. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Education  from  Books,  and  from  Experience — Keen  Intuitions — 
Abreast  of  the  Progress — Mr.  Plant's  After-Dinner  Speech  at 
Tampa  Banquet  Given  him  by  Tampa  Board  of  Trade,  March, 
18,  1886 — Location  of  Tampa — In  Territorial  Dajs  Had  a MiUtary 
Reservation — In  1884  Population  about  Seven  Hundred— Its  Cos- 
mopolitan Population  now— Many  Cubans  and  Spaniards  in 
Tampa — Tobacco  Industry — Phosphate  Abounds  in  this  Part  of 
the  State — Much  of  it  Shipped  to  the  North  and  to  Europe — Plant 
System  Gives  Impetus  to  the  Prosperity  of  the  Place — Its  Pro- 
gress the  Last  Five  or  Six  Years. 

TEXT-BOOKS  are  necessary  instruments  in  a  sys- 
tematic course  of  instruction,  especially  in  the 
period  of  school  and  college  days,  but  their  chief 
value  lies,  not  so  much  in  the  actual  knowledge 
which  they  impart  as  in  the  intellectual  training 
which  they  give  for  the  acquisition  of  know- 
ledge in  the  future.  Hence,  as  civilization  advances 
and  the  schools  of  higher  education  increase,  less 
dependence  is  placed  on  text-books,  and  more  em- 
phasis is  laid  upon  lectures  and  laboratories  by  which 
the  student  is  stimulated  to  original  investigation  and 
independent  thought.  The  knowledge  of  current 
events  which  we  derive  from  observation  of  human 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  69 

nature,  and  which  gives  us  great  opportunities  to  do 
good  to  ourselves  and  to  others,  is  not  acquired  from 
books. 

The  books  may  have  done  good  service  in  the 
previous  mental  discipline,  but  the  actual  knowledge, 
the  practical  experience  in  a  professional  or  business 
career,  has  come  to  us  in  the  course  of  solution  of 
the  problems  of  life.  Mr.  Plant  is  a  striking  illus- 
tration of  this  fact.  He  was  never  a  bookish  man, 
and  lays  no  claim  to  classical  erudition  or  scientific 
knowledge;  yet  he  is  fully  alive  to  the  progress  of 
the  human  race.  Few  events  of  importance  in  the 
world  escape  his  keen  observation. 

It  was  his  quick  insight  and  keen  penetration 
which  led  him  to  see  the  opportunities  and  possibili- 
ties offered  in  the  South,  when  others  had  passed 
them  by  unseen. 

Mr.  Plant  has  an  intuitive  knowledge,  possessed 
by  few  men,  of  many  things  outside  his  immediate 
sphere  of  action.  He  spent  several  days  going  over 
the  plans  of  La  Grcmde  Diichessem  minute  detail  be- 
fore the  contract  for  building  her  was  signed,  noting 
scores  of  corrections  which  the  architect  was  more 
than  gratified  to  make.  His  after-dinner  speeches  at 
Southern  banquets  have  no  spread-eagleism  in  them; 
no  declamation,  but  calm,  quiet,  easy  suggestion,  as 
if  talking  to  a  few  friends  whom  he  loved  and  wanted 
to  help,  and  better  still,  wanted  them  to  help  them- 


70  The  Life  of 

selves.  There  is  no  alarm,  but  friendly  admonition, 
wise  counsel,  valuable  instruction,  most  kindly  ad- 
ministered. 

In  March,  1886,  the  Tampa  Board  of  Trade 
honored  Mr.  Plant  with  a  splendid  banquet,  and 
warmly  welcomed  him  and  his  friends  to  this  once 
sleepy  old  hamlet,  now  kept  awake  by  the  steam 
whistles  of  the  South  Florida  Railroad  and  those  of 
the  steamships  sailing  to  the  West  Indies.  In  reply 
to  a  toast  by  General  John  B.  Wall,  Mr.  Plant  said  : 

"Some  two  years  and  a  half  ago  I  was  escorted 
here  by  some  of  the  gentlemen  present,  upon  a 
wagon-line  across  the  peninsula  of  Florida  from 
Kissimmee  City,  with  Mr.  Haines,  Mr.  Ingraham, 
Mr.  Elliott,  and  Mr.  Allen.  We  had  a  day's  journey 
to  reach  over  the  gap  in  the  railway  that  was  then 
being  constructed,  connecting  Tampa  with  the  St. 
John's  River.  It  was  an  interesting  trip.  I  think  to 
the  best  of  my  recollection  we  passed  not  more  than 
seven  habitations  on  that  journey,  certainly  not 
more  than  that  while  daylight  lasted,  and  now  we 
can  make  the  trip  from  Kissimmee  to  Tampa  in 
three  or  four  hours  and  find  cities  on  the  way, — cities 
of  enterprise,  with  a  frugal  and  industrious  popula- 
tion. Business  has  grown,  and  great  progress  has 
been  made  in  this  part  of  Florida,  but  no  place 
has  improved  more  than  this  town  of  Tampa. 
Tampa,  it   seems  to  us,  had  a  chill,  although  the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  Tl 

climate  was  good.  A  citizen  told  me  on  that  visit 
that  they  did  not  value  the  land  at  anything,  but 
that  the  air  was  worth  one  thousand  dollars  an  acre. 
That  gave  the  value  of  Tampa  land  at  that  time. 
All  are  aware  what  is  the  value  of  Tampa  land  at 
present.     Very  little  I  am  told  is  for  sale. 

"That  is  what  the  railroad  has  done  for  Tampa. 
The  gentlemen  who  are  associated  with  me  look 
with  pleasure  upon  the  progress  that  has  been  made 
in  Tampa.  We  go  back  and  look  upon  the  progress 
that  has  been  made  by  what  is  known  as  the  Plant 
System,  which  commences  at  Charleston,  reaches  out 
to  Chattahoochee,  and  terminates  at  Tampa.  This 
system,  which  you  probably  know,  we  call  under 
various  names  ;  it  is  part  railway,  part  express  com- 
pany, part  steamboat  company,  part  steamship  com- 
pany, but  it  all  has  one  object  and  is  known  as  the 
Plant  System.  It  has  been  successful  in  what  it 
has  undertaken  so  far.  I  think  that  success  may 
be  attributed  to  the  harmony  that  prevails  in  the 
councils  on  the  part  of  the  officers  of  the  railroads,  of 
the  steamships,  of  the  steamboats,  and  express,  that 
go  to  make  up  that  system.  There  is  no  jealousy, 
but  rather  a  rivalry  to  know  which  will  do  the  most. 
And  to  that  spirit,  in  every  one  connected  with  the 
system,  to  do  all  that  is  possible  to  advance  its  prog- 
ress, is  due  the  success  of  the  Plant  System. 

"This  is,  I   think,  all  that  can  now  be  said  in 


72  The  Life  of 

direct  response  to  the  toast,  but  I  would  like  to  say 
a  few  words  of  Tampa,  of  its  possibilities  and  its 
opportunities.  You  are  all  aware  that  Tampa  is 
but  one  port  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  from  which  a 
railroad  extends  to  the  interior.  There  are  ports 
north  of  it  and  ports  south  of  it ;  ports  where  rail- 
ways extend  to  deep  water.  Some  of  them  have 
the  advantage  of  Tampa.  It  is  useless  to  mention 
the  names,  for  you  all  know  them  ;  you  are  familiar 
with  the  advantages  of  all  these  ports.  I  will  not 
give  the  reason  why  they  have  not  advanced.  It 
may  be  because  they  have  not  all  had  the  railway 
backing  that  Tampa  has  had ;  they  have  not  had  a 
united  line  of  railways  leading  to  them  and  ex- 
tending from  them.  Tampa  has  just  started,  it 
seems  to  me,  in  its  progress  towards  prosperity, 
and  the  prosperity  that  it  must  receive  if  it  receives 
the  backing  that  commerce  would  dictate  to  it.  The 
wants  of  commerce  are  large ;  they  are  exacting, 
and  Tampa  has  many  rivals.  There  are  many  cities 
that  aspire  to  it  and  to  grow  as  these  cities  see  that 
Tampa  is  growing  at  the  present  time.  They  will 
do  it,  if  it  is  possible,  by  putting  on  steamship  lines, 
by  putting  on  railway  lines,  by  extending  them  to 
get  some  of  the  business  at  least,  that  is  now  di-aw- 
ing  towards  Tampa,  and  it  is  for  the  people  of 
Tampa  to  determine  for  themselves  to  what  extent 
they  shall  share  it. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  73 

"As  I  have  stated,  it  is  important  to  Tampa's 
interests  to  see  that  all  obstructions  to  commerce 
are  removed  ;  in  other  words,  that  commerce  and 
trade  shall  be  unimpeded  both  to  and  through 
Tampa.  You  all  recollect  that  last  year  there  was 
a  great  Exposition  in  a  neighboring  city  of  the 
Gulf — New  Orleans, — where  millions  of  money  were 
expended  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  countries 
south  of  us,  notably  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America.  This,  that  their  attention  might  be  drawn 
to  the  United  States,  and  especially  the  southern 
part  of  the  United  States,  for  trade,  and,  as  I  said, 
millions  of  money  were  expended  on  making  that 
Exposition  and  maintaining  it  all  the  winter  for 
the  purpose  of  showing  the  people  of  the  West 
India  Islands  what  could  be  done.  That  Exposition 
was  gotten  up  not  for  benevolence,  but  for  the 
purpose  of  inviting  trade.  Now  we  are  doing  all 
we  can  to  encourage  that  trade  by  opening  up  mail 
communication  between  the  United  States  and  those 
very  countries  that  so  much  money  was  spent  to 
encourage  the  trade  from. 

"  We  are  running  steamships  three  times  each 
week,  and  I  think  that  every  gentleman  in  this  hall 
should  raise  his  voice  to  the  authorities  at  Washinor. 
ton  and  endeavor  to  persuade  them  to  send  the  mails  of 
the  entire  United  States  (I  mean  the  mails  of  the  entire 
United  States,  the  South  and  West  as  well  as  the 


74  The  Life  of 

East),  by  the  quickest  route  whereby  they  can 
reach  those  countries  of  which  I  have  spoken.  By 
that  route  the  mails  can  reach  the  whole  of  the 
West  India  Islands,  the  whole  of  the  west  coast  of 
South  America,  in  better  time  and  more  frequently, 
with  the  present  source  of  communication  than  by 
any  other  line.  And  notwithstanding  that  line  was 
put  on  on  the  1st  of  January,  our  postal  authorities 
at  Washington  hardly  seem  alive  to  that  fact,  and, 
as  I  said  before,  I  think  that  the  gentlemen  of 
Tampa  should  raise  a  united  voice  that  the  Post- 
Office  Department  may  be  waked  up  to  know  there 
is  a  route  via  Tampa  that  is  the  quickest  for  the  en- 
tire countries  south  of  us.  I  do  not  know  that  I 
can  say  any  more.  I  have  responded  to  the  toast 
'  Our  Honored  Guests,'  and  said  very  little  about 
them.  I  feel  somewhat  in  the  position  that  Mr. 
Ward  probably  felt  when  he  was  advertised  to  de- 
liver a  lecture  on  'Twins.'  He  occupied  his  entire 
evening  on  the  introduction,  and  left  the  speech  on 
the  '  Twins '  out  altogether." 

The  following  account  of  the  growth  of  Tampa 
is  taken  from  the  New  York  Daily  Tribune  of 
November  17,  1891.  It  illustrates  the  large  share 
which  Mr.  Plant  has  had  in  this  growth,  and  the 
way  in  which  he  has  closely  identified  himself  with 
its  history. 

"  Over  on  the  west  coast  of  Florida  in  Hillsborough 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  75 

County,  or  less  than  two  hundred  miles  north  of 
the  southern  end  of  the  State,  is  an  old,  old  town, 
which,  in  the  territorial  days  of  Florida,  when  the 
Government  first  established  a  military  reservation 
here,  was  a  small  settlement  that  grew  into  a  village 
and  was  called  Tampa.  Owing  to  its  extreme  isola- 
tion, its  growth  was  slow,  and,  in  1884,  there  were 
not  more  than  one  or  two  shops,  and  a  population  of 
a  little  less  than  seven  hundred.  A  year  later  the 
southern  terminus  of  the  Plant  System  of  railroada 
was  established  at  Tampa,  and  since  then  the 
growth  of  the  place  has  been  phenomenal.  As 
Postmaster  Cooper,  one  of  Tampa's  wide-awake 
citizens  and  a  newspaper  editor,  says :  '  Henry  B. 
Plant  may  be  said  to  have  been  the  founder  of 
TamjDa,  and  people  of  enterprise,  industry,  and  capi- 
tal from  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  Cuba,  have 
flocked  here  and  built  upon  the  foundation,  until 
to-day  Tampa  rivals  the  best  cities  in  the  State. 
The  South  Florida  Kailroad  is  one  of  the  best 
equipped  railways  in  the  South,  extending  from 
Port  Tampa  to  Sanford,  a  distance  of  124  miles.' 

"  The  South  Florida  Road  runs  through  the  most 
fertile  and  most  prosperous  part  of  the  State  and  has 
done  more  than  any  other  agency  to  develop  South 
Florida.  And  while  it  is  true  that  the  railroad  gave 
to  Tampa  her  first  onward  impetus,  and  has  done, 
and  is  yet  doing,  much  toward  the  development  of 


76  The  Life  of 

the  place,  yet  there  are  other  agencies  which  have 
done  much  to  help  along  the  great  work.  The  most 
prominent  of  these  is  the  cigar-making  industry, 
which  was  first  established  here  three  years  ago. 
It  is  second  to  none  as  an  important  factor  in  Tam- 
pa's substantial  prosperity  and  commercial  success. 
Tampa  has  also  profited  by  the  immense  deposits  of 
phosphate,  which  is  shipped  from  here,  not  only  by 
rail  all  over  the  country,  but  by  water  direct  to 
Europe.  There  is  a  large  grinding  mill  here,  and  a 
meeting  of  representatives  of  phosphate  interests  was 
held  recently,  and  a  movement  started  to  put  up  the 
necessary  tanks  and  machinery  for  making  the  acids 
and  other  materials  for  the  manufacture  of  super- 
phosphate. When  factories  of  this  sort  are  put  up 
it  will  no  longer  be  necessary  to  send  the  phosphate 
to  Europe  to  be  acidulated. 

"  I  went  over  to  the  palatial  Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  an 
enterprise  of  Mr.  Plant,  and  the  completion  and  fur- 
nishing of  which,  preparatory  to  its  opening  in  two 
or  three  weeks,  Mr.  Plant  has  been  personally  super- 
vising. I  found  him  and  a  portion  of  his  family  at 
breakfast  in  his  private  car,  in  which  he  was  to  start 
north  in  the  afternoon  for  a  brief  stay  before  com- 
ing down  here  for  the  winter.  Mr.  Plant  is  always 
approachable,  genial  in  his  manner,  ready  to  talk 
about  people  and  their  prosperity,  but  not  of  him- 
self or  his.     No  one  can  accuse  him  of  egotism.     He 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  77 

said  nothing  of  his  massive  hotel  until  I  drew  him 
out.  I  said  :  ^  Mr.  Plant,  I  learn  that  no  one  knows 
better  than  you  of  the  beginning  and  the  progress 
of  Tampa  and  its  probable  future.  In  fact,  they  say 
that  you  are  the  father  of  Tampa  ;  tell  me  about  it, 
please.' 

"  '  Well,'  said  the  genial  railroad  president,  '  when 
I  first  drove  across  the  country  from  Sanford,  for  we 
are  nearly  west  of  that  point,  and  there  was  no  other 
way  of  getting  here  by  land,  I  found  Tampa  slum- 
bering as  it  had  been  for  years.  This  was  eight 
years  ago.  It  seemed  to  me  that  all  South  Florida 
needed  for  a  successful  future  was  a  little  spirit  and 
energy,  which  could  be  fostered  by  transportation 
facilities.  There  were  one  or  two  small  shops  and 
a  population  of  about  seven  hundred  in  Tampa.  I 
made  a  careful  survey  of  the  situation,  calculated 
upon  its  prospects  and  concluded  to  take  advantage 
of  the  opportunity,  and  we  who  made  early  invest- 
ments have  proved  the  faith  in  our  own  judgment. 
Tampa  was  really  unknown  to  the  commercial  world 
until  the  South  Florida  Railroad  introduced  her 
there.  This  w^as  in  1885,  and  it  brought  to  the  town 
a  new  life,  and  breathed  into  it  all  the  elements  of 
push,  progress,  and  success.  Tampa  at  once  began 
to  spread  itself,  and  ever  since  has  been  fairly  bound- 
ing along  the  road  to  greatness.  It  has  now  a  popu- 
lation of  about  ten  thousand,  and  is  rapidly  increasing. 


78  The  Life  of 

Hundreds  upon  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars 
have  been  invested  in  business,  and  instead  of  a  few 
scattered  and  unpainted  storehouses,  there  are  now 
many  magnificent  brick  blocks,  handsome  private 
residences,  cosey  cottages,  large  warehouses,  mam- 
moth wholesale  establishments,  busy  workshops, 
comfortable  hotels,  two  newspapers,  a  phosphate 
mill,  cigar  factories,  first-class  banking  facilities,  tele- 
graph and  telephone  communications,  two  electric- 
light  establishments,  ice  factories,  a  complete  system 
of  waterworks,  eight  lines  of  steamships  and  steam- 
boats giving  communication  to  Key  AVest  and  Ha- 
vana, Mobile,  places  on  the  Manatee  River,  etc' 

"  Mr.  Plant's  hotel,  upon  which  he  has  spent  about 
$2,000,000  on  the  building  and  grounds  and  $500,000 
for  the  furnishing,  and  which  is  nearly  ready  for  the 
opening,  is  in  the  centre  of  a  sixteen-acre  plot  of 
ground  just  north  of  the  city  bridge.  The  architec- 
ture is  Moorish,  patterned  after  the  palaces  in  Spain, 
and  minarets  and  domes  tower  above  the  great  five- 
story  building,  each  one  of  which  is  surmounted  with 
a  crescent,  which  is  lighted  by  electricity  at  night. 
The  main  building  is  511  feet  in  length,  and  varies 
in  width  from  50  to  150  feet.  A  wide  hall,  on  either 
side  of  which  are  bedrooms,  single  and  in  suites, 
runs  the  entire  length  of  the  building  to  the  dining- 
room  at  the  southern  end.  The  exterior  walls  are 
of  darkened  brick,  with  buff  and  red  brick  arches 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  ^9 

and  stone  dressings.  The  cornices  are  of  stone  and 
iron  ;  the  piazza  columns  are  of  steel,  supported  on 
pieces  of  cut  stone. 

"  The  main  entrances  are  through  three  pairs  of 
double  doors,  flanked  by  sixteen  polished  granite 
columns,  supporting  Moorish  arches,  over  which 
balconies  open  from  the  gallery  around  the  rotunda 
to  the  second  floor.  The  principal  staircase  is  of 
stone,  and  the  horseshoe  arch  and  the  crescent  and 
the  star  meet  the  eye  at  every  turn — the  electric 
lights  in  the  dining-hall,  the  music-hall,  the  drawing- 
room,  the  reception-room,  the  reading-room,  and  the 
office  being  arranged  after  these  patterns.  The 
drawing-room  is  a  casket  of  beautiful  and  antique 
things,  embracing  fine  contrasts.  There  are  a  sofa 
and  two  chairs  which  were  once  the  property  of 
Marie  Antoinette ;  a  set  of  four  superb  gilt  chairs 
which  once  belonged  to  Louis  Philippe ;  two  antique 
Spanish  cabinets,  and  between  ten  high,  wide  win- 
dows appear  Spanish,  French,  and  Japanese  cabinets, 
both  old  and  quaint.  Old  carved  Dutch  chairs, 
rare  onyx  chairs,  and  queer  seats  of  other  kinds  are 
scattered  along  the  hall.  Among  the  large  collection 
of  oil  paintings,  water  -  colors,  and  engravings,  are 
portraits  and  old  pictures  of  Spanish  castles  and 
fortresses. 

"A  large  rustic  gate  for  carriages  and  two  for 
pedestrians  lead  into  the  grounds  on  the  northern 


80  The  Life  of 

side.  These  gates  are  made  of  cabbage-palmetto 
trunks,  the  mid-ribs  being  of  the  leaves  worked  into 
a  quaint  and  rustic  design.  On  either  side  of  the 
great  gate  stand  giant  cabbage-pal mettoes,  thirty  and 
forty  feet  high,  set  in  groups  of  five  and  seven,  the 
Moorish  numbers.  A  number  of  large  live-oaks, 
one  a  tree  of  great  breadth  and  beauty,  remain  on 
the  grounds.  Near  the  centre  of  the  lawn  a  fort 
has  been  built  of  white  stone,  having  two  embra- 
sures. In  it  are  mounted  two  old  cannon  that  were 
spiked  on  the  reservation  of  Tampa  during  the  Civil 
"War.  The  grounds  front  on  the  Hillsborough  Kiver 
and  overlook  the  city,  Fort  Brooke  and  Tampa  Bay, 
and  are  filled  with  fruit-trees,  roses  and  flowers. 

"The  streets  of  Tampa  are  not  what  they  will  be, 
but  a  great  improvement  has  been  going  on  in  the 
last  year ;  and  when  all  the  thoroughfares  are  paved, 
macadamized  or  otherwise  hardened,  they  will  be 
attractive  drives.  The  roads  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  are  naturally  hard  and  smooth,  giving  fine 
drives  in  various  directions.  The  water  supply  is 
obtained  from  one  of  the  largest  springs  of  water  in 
the  State,  and  is  abundant  for  all  purposes,  and 
ample  factories  provide  ice  from  distilled  water. 
Until  the  session  of  Congress  of  1889,  Tampa  was 
in  the  Key  West  customs  district,  and  the  custom- 
house business  was  looked  after  by  a  deputy  ap- 
pointed by  the  Collector  of  Customs  at  Key  West. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  81 

But  when  Congress  passed  a  bill  makiug  Tampa  a 
regular  port  of  entry,  a  collector  and  a  full  corps  of 
assistants  were  appointed.  To  give  an  idea  of  the 
growth  of  Tampa,  it  is  only  necessary  to  compare  the 
customs  returns  for  1885,  when,  under  a  deputy-col- 
lector, the  recei23ts  were  only  $75,  with  the  report  of 
last  year,  which  showed  receipts  considerably  above 
$100,000. 

"  For  a  long  time  builders  had  suffered  great  incon- 
venience and  delay  because  there  were  no  brickmak- 
ing  works.  It  was  not  believed  that  good  brick 
could  be  made  in  Tampa,  and  all  orders  for  this 
necessary  building  material  had  to  be  sent  away 
from  home.  But  in  1888,  one  of  the  enterprising 
citizens,  who  had  found  a  bed  of  good  clay  just 
north  of  the  cit}^,  began  to  manufacture  bricks. 
The  result  is  that  builders  are  now  furnished 
with  home-made  bricks  almost  as  fast  as  they  need 
them.  It  was  stated  to  me  that  as  much  as  $300,- 
000  had  been  expended  in  the  erection  of  brick 
buildings  during  the  last  year.  One  of  the  new 
public  buildings  is  the  City  Hall  and  Court  House. 
It  is  50  by  100  feet  on  the  sides  and  is  two  and  a 
half  stories  high. 

"  Tampa's  population  may  certainly  be  called  cos- 
mopolitan, comprising  people  from  every  quarter  of 
the  globe ;  but  three  classes  preponderate  so  largely 
as  to  warrant  distinction, — the  American,  the  Cuban 


82  The  Life  of 

white  people,  and  the  African  or  colored  people. 
There  is  no  difference  worthy  of  note  between  the 
first  mentioned  in  Tampa  and  those  of  other  sections 
of  the  United  States.  They  have  all  the  push  and 
enterprise  characteristic  of  the  American  people,  and 
are  the  peer  of  any  in  social  life. 

"  There  are  between  three  and  four  thousand  Cu- 
bans in  Tampa,  and  some  Spaniards,  too,  but  there 
is  an  intense  prejudice  on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards 
against  the  Cubans,  and  as  the  latter  feel  the  same 
dislike  for  the  Spaniards,  conflicts  between  the  two 
sometimes  occur,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  good 
police  administration  might  pi'ove  serious  in  some 
instances.  The  Cubans  are  many  of  them  property- 
holders  and  are  identified  closely  with  the  city's 
growth.  They  are  reported  as  moral,  temperate, 
energetic  and  quite  desirable  citizens ;  and,  are  al- 
most without  exception,  engaged  in  cigar-making 
and  kindred  industries.  They  are  also  an  amuse- 
ment-loving people,  have  several  clubs  and  societies, 
an  opera-house,  a  band  and  a  newspaper.  The 
Cuban  settlement  is  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  called 
Yboi"  City,  after  Martinez  Ybor,  the  pioneer  cigar 
manufacturer  in  Tampa.  Only  four  years  ago  this 
part  of  the  city  was  an  unimproved  and  uncultivated 
forest;  now  it  is  an  active,  bustling,  wealthy  town 
within  itself,  and,  to  add  to  its  interest.  Postmaster 
Cooper  recently  established  a  branch  station,  as  he 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  83 

has  also  in  the  settlement  of  the  colored  people,  for 
the  accommodation  of  those  who  live  far  from  the 
general  post-office. 

"Twelve  cigar  factories  are  located  in  Ybor  City, 
and  there  nearly  all  of  the  cigar-makers  live.  The 
largest  factories  are  those  of  Ybor  &,  Co.,  Sanchez, 
Haya  &>  Co.,  Lozano,  Pendas  <fe  Co.,  R.  Monne  &, 
Bro.,  and  E.  Pons  &,  Co.  These  five  factories  manu- 
factured 33,950,575  cigars  last  year,  the  output  of 
the  Ybors  alone  being  15,030,700.  The  total  number 
manufactured  in  the  thirty  factories  in  Key  West 
was  77,251,374.  More  than  $30,000  is  paid  out  to 
the  1500  or  2000  cigar-makers  in  Ybor  City  every 
Saturday  night,  one-fourth  of  which  is  paid  out  at 
Ybor's  factory;  and  about  $150,000  has  been  ex- 
pended here  in  the  past  six  years  upon  improve- 
ments. This  cigar-making  industry  has  contributed 
materially  to  the  development  and  growth  of  Tampa 
during  the  last  five  years,  and  it  promises  much 
greater  benefit  in  the  future.  It  was  in  October, 
1885,  that  Martinez  Ybor  &,  Co.,  who  began  manu- 
facturing in  Havana  in  1854,  and  afterward  put  up 
a  large  factory  in  Key  West,  came  to  Tampa  to 
investigate  the  resources  and  advantages  offered  for 
cigar-making.  They  soon  afterward  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  in  the  Fourth  Ward,  cleared  it  of  the 
pines,  wild-oats  and  gophers,  and  built  a  factory,  a 
large  boarding-house  or  hotel,  and  several  small  cot- 


84  The  Life  of 

tages  for  the  workmen  whom  they  brought  from 
Key  West  and  Havana.  The  venture  proved  a  suc- 
cess from  the  start  and  improvements  were  added. 
The  original  factory,  a  wooden  structure,  is  now  the 
opera  house,  and  a  large  brick  factory  has  succeeded 
the  first  one,  where  the  daily  output  of  the  450  cigar- 
makers  employed  is  40,000  to  50,000  cigars.  Then 
came  Sanchez  <fe  Haya,  Emilio  Pons,  and  others,  and 
all  declare  that  they  are  doing  an  excellent  business. 

"  'The  required  condition  of  the  climate  of  Tampa 
for  good  cigars  is  said  to  be  fully  equal  to  that  of 
Key  West  or  Havana,'  said  one  of  the  manufacturers 
who  has  had  factories  in  both  places.  '  This  has 
been  proven  by  an  actual  and  thorough  test.  An- 
other advantage  comes  from  the  superior  transport- 
ation facilities  of  the  South  Florida  Railroad,  which 
gets  freight  quickly  to  New  York.' 

"  The  colored  people  of  Tampa  are  declared  to  be 
in  a  better  general  condition  than  they  are  in  any 
other  part  of  the  South.  They  are  also  represented 
to  be  a  generous,  quiet  and  inoffensive  class  of  citi- 
zens. They  are  also  far  more  industrious  than 
those  in  some  other  sections  of  the  South,  working 
almost  every  day,  and  the  2000  negro  population 
have  a  settlement  of  their  own,  midway  between 
Tampa  proper  and  Ybor  City,  which  would  be  a 
credit  to  any  community.  Many  of  the  houses, 
like  the  streets,  run  in  iri'egular  lines,  but  the  homes 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  85 

and  the  shops  have  a  tidy  and  orderly  appearance  as 
though  not  neglected,  and  at  night  everything  about 
them  is  quiet  and  peaceful,  only  the  songs  and  the 
moderate  conversations  and  the  musical  laughter 
being  heard.  Very  few  of  these  people  live  in  rented 
apartments,  but  nearly  all  own  their  little  cottage 
homes.  They  have  many  excellent  churches,  schools 
taught  by  colored  teachers,  and  nearly  every  home 
has  a  small  library.  Then,  too,  or  with  very  few 
exceptions,  the  colored  people  command  the  respect 
of  the  whites. 

"Port  Tan] pa,  which  is  the  port  from  which  the 
Plant  Steamship  Line  sails  for  Havana  and  other 
places,  is  about  ten  miles  below  here.  One  of  its 
attractions  is  '  The  Inn,'  a  great  hotel  built  in  colo- 
nial style,  beside  the  South  Florida  Railroad,  over 
the  water  and  about  2000  feet  from  the  shore.  It  is 
both  a  summer  and  winter  resort  for  tourists  and 
Floridians.  Another  attraction  is  the  fishing,  either 
for  bass  from  the  wharf  or  boats,  or  for  the  tarpon, 
or,  'Silver  King,'  at  Pine  Island.  The  third  at- 
traction is  Picnic  Island,  the  name  itself  telling  its 
purpose." 

Notwithstanding  the  general  depression  of  the 
country  during  the  last  five  years,  the  growth  of 
Tampa  has  gone  forward  with  a  rapidity  unsurpassed 
in  any  five  years  of  its  history.  The  entire  city  has 
increased    in   population  from   seven    thousand  to 


86 


Henry  Bradley  Plant 


twenty-eight  thousand  during  the  past  decade  and  is 
still  growing  steadily.  Property  is  as  valuable  on 
the  main  business  street  of  Tampa  as  it  is  in  New 
York  City  above  Central  Park.  The  city  has  a 
Board  of  Trade,  a  Board  of  Health,  schools,  academy 
and  churches  of  all  Christian  denominations.  Few, 
if  any,  cities  in  Florida  have  a  more  promising  future 
before  them  than  Tampa. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Florida  Mr.  Plant's  Hobby— Banquet  at  Ocala— Mr.  Plant's  Speech- 
Sail  on  Lakes  Harrison  and  Griffin— Banquet  at  Leesburg— Visit 
to  Eustis— Cheering  Words  to  a  Young  Editor— Make  the  best 
of  the  Frost— It  may  be  a  Blessing  in  Disguise— Must  Cultivate 
other  Fruits,  (and  Cereals)  besides  Oranges — Importance  of  Hon- 
esty— Sense  of  Justice— Consideration  for  the  Workmen — Un- 
conscious Moulding-Power  over  Associates  and  Employees — 
Letter  of  Honorable  Rufus  B.  BuUock. 

MR.  PLANT'S  associates  say  of  him :  "  Oh,  Flor- 
ida  is  one  of  the  President's  pets."  Anything 
touching  the  prosperity  of  Florida  is  sure  to  get  a 
sympathetic  hearing  from  him  at  all  times.  He 
loves  the  Land  of  Flowers  and  has  spent  many 
pleasant  days  in  it  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  Nor 
does  it  fall  to  the  lot  of  every  man  to  receive  such 
high  appreciation  for  the  good  he  has  done  and  such 
esteem  and  affection  as  Mr.  Plant  receives  from  these 
warm-hearted,  whole-souled  Southern  people.  Mr. 
Plant  having  recently  included  Ocala  in  his  railroad 
and  hotel  system,  a  fact  which  promises  much  for 
the  future  progress  of  this  enterprising  town  and 
section  of  Western  Florida,  the  people  wished  to 
87 


88  The  Life  of 

express  their  grateful  appreciation  of  the  man  whom 
all  the  South  delights  to  honor.  So,  in  the  winter 
of  1896,  they  tendered  to  him  a  grand  banquet  to 
which  he  and  his  friends  and  associates  in  office  were 
welcomed.  Nothing  was  left  undone  by  these  good 
people  to  make  the  occasion  pleasant. 

The  feast  was  held  in  the  Ocala  Hotel  which 
came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Plant  during  1896, 
and  was  opened  that  season  as  one  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem Hotels.  The  house  was  elaborately  decorated 
with  Southern  ferns  and  flowers.  A  reception 
was  first  held  in  the  parlor,  then  about  seventy 
ladies  and  gentlemen  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous 
dinner,  enlivened  by  sweet  music,  and  good  cheer. 
Many  beautiful  tributes  of  esteem  and  friendship 
were  eloquently  presented  to  the  guest  of  the  even- 
ing, who  had  been  requested  by  the  committee  of 
arrangements  to  speak  to  the  toast,  "The  Plant 
System."  The  following  account  taken  from  the 
Atlanta  Gmistitution,  is  a  fairly  good  report  of  his 
speech,  which  held  the  audience  spellbound  from 
beginning  to  end.  He  said :  "I  am  gratified  and 
pleased  beyond  measure  to  be  with  you  to-night  on 
an  occasion  of  social  enjoyment  to  exchange  compli- 
ments and  greetings  with  the  undaunted  citizens  of 
Ocala  and  revel  in  the  bounteous  hospitality  of  this 
proud  and  prosperous  little  city.  Words  count  for 
but  little  in  the  effort  to  express  my  sincere  appreci- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  89 

ation  of  such  evidences  of  cordiality  as  have  been 
shown  this  night  to  me  and  to  my  friends  and  asso- 
ciates in  business.  Surely  the  very  presence  of  so 
many  of  your  community's  worthy  citizens,  your 
city's  leading  business  and  professional  men,  who 
have  rendered  the  further  compliment  of  bri noting: 
with  them  their  charming  wives  and  daughters, 
would  of  itself  inspire  any  man,  who  is  not  insensible 
to  the  impulse  of  gratitude,  with  a  feeling  of  gratifi- 
cation and  deep  appreciation  for  the  compliment  it 
conveys.  It  pleases  me  to  see  so  many  of  the  ladies 
of  Ocala  here  to-night,  for  their  charming  presence 
lends  beauty  to  the  brilliant  scene  and  makes 
all  the  more  enchanting  this  hour  of  pleasure  and 
promise. 

"  I  feel  that  it  is  good  to  be  here.  I  am  always 
glad  to  mingle  in  social  intercourse  with  my  good 
friends  of  Florida,  for  I  warrant  you  that  nothing 
is  more  comforting  than  to  know  that  in  all  my 
endeavors  to  aid  them  in  the  upbuilding  of  their 
favored  section  I  have  their  hearty  good-will  and 
unstinted  co-operation.  In  congratulation  upon  the 
continued  prosperity  of  Ocala,  despite  the  recent 
chilling  frosts,  which  seemed  well-nigh  to  sweep 
away  your  beautiful  orange  groves  and  blight  the 
interests  of  your  agricultural  community,  I  wish  to 
say  that  it  is  pleasing  to  me  to  observe  the  un- 
daunted pluck  and  courage  of  your  irrepressible  and 


90  The  Life  of 

invincible  people,  who,  never  swerving  from  the 
duties  of  citizenship,  have  set  about  the  arduous 
task  of  building  up  again  the  agricultural  and  indus- 
trial interests  of  this  region  of  Florida,  with  a  new- 
ness of  life  and  a  heartier  zest.  Such  determined 
eifort  will  surely  be  crowned  with  unbounded  suc- 
cess and  prosperity  in  the  end.  There  is  no  reason 
why  Ocala  should  not  be  a  prosperous  city.  Your 
climate  is  excellent ;  your  water  is  pure  and  whole- 
some ;  your  lands  are  fertile  and  prolific,  and  your 
people  are  joined  with  a  unity  of  ambition  and  a  unity 
of  aim  for  the  upbuilding  of  every  interest  alike. 

"  I  have  been  asked  to  speak  to  you  of  what  is 
known  as  the  '  Plant  System.'  Not  this  mere  physi- 
cal system  of  the  man — for  that  speaks  for  itself. 
But  the  system  of  railways  and  steamships  and  other 
interests  which  have  been  built  up  as  all  other  indus- 
tries are  built  up  in  the  great  march  of  American 
progress  and  industrial  development.  In  touching 
upon  the  plans  and  scope  of  the  Plant  System,  I  be- 
lieve I  will  be  credited  with  perfect  sincerity  when 
I  say  in  the  very  outset,  that  if  some  of  the  condi- 
tions of  which  we  now  have  knowledge  had  been 
known  in  the  beginning,  much  of  this  system  would 
not  exist  to-day.  I  have  reference  to  such  condi- 
tions as  have  in  late  years  arisen  and  confronted 
corporations  in  the  nature  of  an  obstacle  and  an 
obstruction.     As  you  all  perhaps  know,  there  has 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  91 

been  a  great  change  in  the  plans  and  methods  of 
railroad  construction  during  the  last  decade  or  two. 
In  the  old  days  railroads  were  built  for  the  most 
part  by  the  people  of  means  along  the  proposed 
route,  and  they  were  for  the  most  part  short  lines. 
People  did  not  set  out  in  the  earlier  days  to  build 
long  lines  of  railways.  As  years  rolled  by,  however, 
there  sprang  up  among  the  people  of  some  sections 
an  unexplained  feeling  of  hostility  to  corporations — 
a  sort  of  antagonism  to  capital — which  has  worked 
its  way  like  a  devouring  worm  into  the  politics  of 
the  nation,  and  which,  in  recent  years,  has  well  nigh 
sapped  the  lifeblood  from  many  of  the  leading  rail- 
way systems  of  the  country,  by  plunging  them  into 
such  a  complicated  pool  of  injurious  legislation  as 
to  land  them  on  the  dangerous  shores  of  bank- 
ruptcy. Just  at  the  time  when  such  a  spirit  of 
antagonism  was  at  its  zenith  there  came  a  change  in 
the  methods  of  operating  railway  lines.  Instead  of 
the  short  lines,  several  of  the  roads  began  to  be 
joined  together  for  a  longer  line,  thus  reducing  the 
expenses  of  operation  and  at  the  same  time  giving 
better  facilities  of  travel  and  of  shipment.  It  was 
found  that  the  railroads  could  not  live  if  operated 
on  the  short-line  basis,  for  competition  grew  so  great 
it  became  necessary  to  link  this  road  and  that  to 
form  a  through  line  binding  the  commerce  of  one 
section  to  that  of  another  in  rapid  transit  at  reduced 


92  The  Life  of 

expenditure.  This  came  as  a  necessity  born  of 
the  situation,  for  the  railroads  were  being  bank- 
rupted on  the  old  plan  and  were  sold  out  by  receivers 
for  their  original  owners  to  the  men  of  capital,  and 
they  saw  the  absolute  necessity  of  a  more  economical 
basis  of  operation.  Taxes  were  high,  competition 
was  great  and  everything  served  evidence  that  the 
old  plan  would  no  longer  prove  feasible. 

"Just  why  there  should  be  any  hostility  to  such  a 
plan  of  railway  management  among  the  people  w^ho 
are,  after  all,  the  ones  benefited  most  by  the  increased 
facilities  that  are  given  them,  is  not  made  clear  to 
me,  but  such  a  spirit  did  prevail,  and  does  prevail 
to-day  in  some  sections  to  such  an  extent  that  men, 
blinded  to  the  interests  of  the  people  of  their  sec- 
tions, are  continually  stabbing  at  the  very  heart 
of  the  railway  corporations  and  crying  out  that 
they  need  to  be  watched  by  legislative  censors,  and 
of  this  notion  the  railway  commission  was  born. 
My  friends,  I  know  but  little  of  the  motives  that 
prompt  such  legislation  against  railroads,  but  I 
do  know  that  some  very  serious  mistakes  have  been 
made.  It  has  been  said  that  the  king  can  do  no 
wrong,  but  it  has  with  equal  truth  been  said  that 
the  king  can  make  mistakes.  In  the  State  of  Georgia, 
this  persistent  spirit  of  hostility  to  railroads,  this 
organized  eifort  of  legislative  restriction,  has  within 
the  past  few  years  thrown  nearly  every  railroad  in 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  93 

the  State  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver.  The  result 
has  been  a  gradual  reorganization  of  these  properties 
by  the  men  of  capital  in  the  East,  and  a  new  plan  of 
operation  at  reduced  expenditure  through  consolida- 
tion.    What  else  could  have  resulted  ? 

"The  interests  of  the  people  and  the  railroads  are 
certainly  not  conflicting  interests.  They  are  com- 
mon interests  and  should  go  hand  in  hand  and  heart 
to  heart  in  the  great  work  of  building  up  this  coun- 
try. The  one  should  not  be  made  an  obstacle  for 
the  other.  I  cannot  see  how  the  Plant  System  of 
railways  and  steamships  could  be  other  than  a  pillar 
in  the  structure  of  the  industrial  world  of  this  Re- 
public, interested  in  all  that  tends  to  the  promotion 
of  the  general  interests  of  the  people.  Of  what 
avail  would  railroad  construction  be  to  the  owner  if 
it  were  intended  to  be  run  in  hostility  to  the  busi- 
ness interests  of  the  people  of  the  country  it  trav- 
ersed? What  would  a  railroad  be  worth  if  not 
supported  by  a  healthful  business  community  in  per- 
fect harmony  ?  On  the  contrary,  what  would  any 
country  be  without  the  railroads? 

"It  is  true  that  the  people  of  this  section  have  suf- 
fered heavy  loss  lately  through  some  unexplained 
stroke  of  Providence,  by  which  the  orange  groves 
of  Florida  were  laid  low  by  the  withering  touch 
of  the  hand  of  dread  winter,  and  it  is  furthermore 
true  that  the  phosphate  interests  have  been  injured 


94  The  Life  of 

by  an  over-production,  but  that  is  a  matter  that  rests 
with  the  fates,  to  be  worked  out  in  their  own  good 
season.  Misfortunes  sometimes  prove  to  be  but 
blessings  in  disguise,  and  it  rests  not  with  mortals 
to  gainsay  the  wisdom  of  that  edict  which  comes 
from  an  Omniscient  Providence.  In  all  your  losses 
on  the  farms  and  in  the  phosphate  mines,  bear  in 
mind  that  the  railroads  are  suffering  a  kindred  loss, 
for  the  blow  was  as  keenly  felt  by  them  as  by  you. 

"  Let  us  move  together  while  the  hand  of  adver- 
sity weighs  heavily  upon  us,  just  as  we  have  always 
tried  to  do  when  we  were  more  prosperous.  Let 
us  take  no  part  in  the  systematic  effort  that  some 
are  making,  to  persecute  the  railway  enterprises  of 
Florida  at  such  a  time  as  this,  for  such  persecutors 
are  blinded  to  their  country's  interests.  If  there 
was  ever  a  time  when  the  people  and  the  railroads 
ought  to  work  in  perfect  harmony  that  time  is  at 
hand.  I  believe  labor  ought  to  be  protected  in 
a  reasonable  and  rightful  degree,  but  I  also  believe 
that  capital  ought  to  be  protected  against  the  un- 
righteous onslaughts  of  those  who  know  not  what 
they  do. 

"  In  conclusion,  my  good  friends  of  Ocala,  I  beg 
to  thank  you  again  for  your  generous  reception  to- 
night. I  believe  there  is  much  in  the  spirit  that 
rules  here  that  bespeaks  the  dawn  of  brighter  and 
better  days  for  the  people  of  this  region." 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  95 

The  following  day  a  special  train  took  Mr.  Plant 
and  Lis  party  to  Leesburg,  where  arrangements  bad 
been  made  by  the  people  of  that  beautiful  little 
town  to  give  Mr.  Plant  and  his  friends  another  ova- 
tion of  most  healthful  pleasure  and  exquisite  enjoy- 
ment. The  Mayor  and  leading  citizens  of  the  place 
met  the  party  at  the  railroad  station  and  welcomed 
them  ^vith  marked  cordiality  to  their  best  hospitality 
and  friendship.  At  the  close  of  a  day's  most  delight- 
ful sailing  up  Lakes  Harrison  and  Griffin,  and  many 
carriage  rides  on  the  shores  of  those  beautiful  lakes, 
situated  as  they  are  in  some  of  Florida's  most  pic- 
turesque scenery,  the  party  sat  down  to  a  banquet 
in  the  hotel  given  by  the  Leesburg  Board  of  Trade. 
"  It  was  truly  a  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of  soul,"  for 
nothing  could  have  been  in  better  taste  or  evinced 
more  genuine  esteem  and  friendship  for  the  guest  of 
the  occasion  than  was  shown  there. 

On  the  next  day  a  special  train  took  Mr.  Plant 
and  his  party  to  Eustis.  At  the  station  all  the 
prominent  people  in  town  were  gathered  to  welcome 
him.  Carriages  were  in  waiting  to  take  him  and  his 
friends  through  the  beautiful  little  town.  It  was 
with  visible  emotion  that  he  looked  upon  the  with- 
ered, lifeless  orange  trees  bared  by  the  terrible  frost 
of  the  preceding  winter,  a  drear  and  desolate  scene 
as  compared  with  the  bloom  and  beauty  of  other 
days.     Mr.  Plant,  however,  was  never  given  to  fruit- 


96  The  Life  of 

less  raiirmuring.  To  a  young  editor  in  the  carriage 
with  him  he  said  :  "  No,  we  must  make  the  best  of 
even  the  adverse  situation.  It  might  be  worse. 
You  must  publish  words  of  cheer  and  hope  to  your 
people,  and  do  all  that  you  can  to  help  them  over  this 
trying  time.  Suggest  to  them  the  planting  of  other 
crops,  the  rearing  of  other  fruits.  It  will  not  do  to  be 
altogether  dependent  on  oranges.  The  soil  is  cap- 
able of  raising  many  other  things  besides  oranges, 
and  it  may  be  that  this  calamity  will  become  a  bless- 
ing in  disguise."  So  he  ministered  good  cheer  and 
practical  instruction  to  the  people,  who  felt  that  he 
loved  them,  and  who  were  very  responsive  to  his 
encouraging  words. 

I  doubt  not  these  people  uttered  the  true  senti- 
ments of  their  deep  feeling  when  they  said  as  they 
bade  him  good-bye  :  "  Mr.  Plant,  you  have  done 
us  all  a  great  deal  of  good,  we  shall  never  forget  you 
for  this  visit  you  have  made  us.  It  will  be  a  pleas- 
ant memory  to  us  always,  and  if  you  and  your  friends 
have  enjoyed  your  visit  half  as  much  as  we  have  en- 
joyed having  you,  then  is  our  happiness  increased  a 
hundred  fold."  Never  have  we  witnessed  anything 
more  beautiful  and  tenderly  impressive  than  the 
kindly  interest  which  Mr.  Plant's  visit  called  out 
among  these  people.  His  every  want  was  anticipated, 
luncheons,  rare  and  delicious,  were  carefully  stored 
away  on  boat  and  train  and  brouglit  out  at  the  right 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  97 

time.  After  sail  or  ride  in  train  and  carriage  in  this 
most  appetizing  atmosphere  had  made  the  I3arty 
hungry  as  prairie  wolves,  then  a  sumptuous  repast 
was  served  and  enjoyed  to  the  full.  Rooms,  and 
rest  and  care  in  hotel,  cars,  or  boats  were  provided 
with  a  skill  and  tact  that  made  one  think  of  the 
Plant  System. 

Honesty  is  the  foundation  and  keystone  of  every 
noble  character.  It  is  the  quality  that  must  pervade 
the  whole  nature.  Nothing  can  take  its  place  or 
atone  for  its  absence,  nor  can  there  be  a  perfect  man- 
hood where  it  is  not  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  whole 
man.  "  Honesty  is  the  best  policy  "  says  the  policy 
man,  but  he  who  is  honest  only  from  policy  and  not 
from  principle,  is  not  an  honest  man,  but  a  knave,  if 
not  a  fool  as  well.  Genius,  scholarship,  wit,  humor, 
brilliancy  are  worse  than  worthless  when  they  do 
not  rest  on  a  foundation  of  honesty.  Never  was  a 
greater  tribute  paid  to  man  than  when  President 
Lincoln's  neighbors  dubbed  him  "Honest  Abe." 
Nor  did  poet  ever  rise  to  higher  flights  of  truth  than 
when  Scotia's  Bard  wrote  "An  honest  man's  the 
noblest  work  of  God."  "  To  be  honest,  as  this  world 
goes,  is  to  be  one  man  picked  out  of  ten  thousand," 
says  Shakespeare.  In  the  history  of  the  human 
race  men  of  all  ranks  have  ever  paid  the  highest 
tributes  to  honesty  and  accorded  to  it  the  first  place 
in   human  character.     It   is  this  quality,  combined 


98  The  Life  of 

with  his  great  energy,  which  has  enabled  Mr.  Plant 
to  carry  his  undertakings  to  so  successful  an  end. 

One  of  his  associates  in  business  for  long  years 
said  :  "  Mr.  Plant  does  not  rashly  promise  but  when 
he  does,  performance  is  sure,  cost  what  it  may. 
Were  I  having  a  business  transaction  with  Mr.  Plant 
for  any  amount,  and  knew  that  he  would  live  to  ful- 
fil his  engagement  I  would  ask  neither  bond  nor 
written  contract.  His  word  would  be  just  as  good 
to  me  as  any  security  that  could  be  drawn  by  the 
best  legal  authority  in  the  land."  "  I  should  name 
honesty  as  the  dominant  principle  of  Mr.  Plant's 
character,"  said  another. 

It  has  been  naively  said  that  no  "  man  is  a  gentle- 
man to  his  valet,"  but  the  testimonies  here  quoted 
are  from  men  of  long  and  most  intimate  acquain- 
tance, and  might  be  multiplied  by  hundreds  of  those 
who  were  once  in  his  employ  as  well  as  by  those  still 
connected  with  the  great  System  over  which  Mr. 
Plant  presides.  Careful  scrutiny  and  good  judg- 
ment have  characterized  all  Mr.  Plant's  dealings  with 
his  fellow-men,  but  crooked  ways  and  mean  advantage 
never.  He  has  rendered  to  his  generation  an  invalu- 
able service  in  that  he  has  demonstrated  to  it  that 
honesty  is  the  best  princi'ple  and  the  surest  way  to 
the  greatest  success.  And  he  has  done  this  in  de- 
partments of  commerce  proverbial  for  their  unjust  and 
unfair  methods  of  dealing. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  99 

He  has  a  wonderful  amount  of  unconscious  power 
which  moulds  those  who  come  within  its  influence. 
Hence  his  associates  have  remained  long  with  him 
even  when  tempted  by  other  positions.  The  follow- 
ins:  extracts  from  a  letter  of  ex-Governor  R.  B.  Bul- 
lock  will  be  found  of  interest  in  this  connection. 
^^  Rev.  Dr.  Geo.  H.  Smyth. 

"  Reverend  and  Dear  Sir : — 

"Replying  now  to  your  esteemed  favor  of  March 
17th,  would  say  that  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant  came  to 
this  city  in  1854,  representing  the  Adams  and  other 
express  interests,  which  were  then  being  extended 
through  this  section  of  the  country  ;  and  he  con- 
tinued to  make  this  city  his  headquarters  in  that 
connection  until  '69  or  '70,  when  he  made  his  home 
in  New  York.  There  are  no  'incidents'  within 
my  knowledge  connected  with  Mr.  Plant's  life  here, 
which  would  be  of  special  interest  to  incorporate 
in  a  biography.  He  developed  then  the  same  per- 
sistent, conservative  and  industrious  perseverance 
in  planning  for  and  directing  the  interests  in  his 
charge,  which  have  since  developed  into  the  im- 
portant and  widespread  interests  over  which  he  now 
presides. 

"  Naturally,  in  the  development  and  establishment 
of  the  business  in  his  hands  in  those  early  days,  it 
became  necessary  for  him  to  select  proper  men  to  fill 
the  various  positions  connected  therewith  and  it  is  a 


100  The  Life  of 

notable  fact,  by  experience  shown,  that  the  selections 
so  made  by  him,  were  wise  and  judicious,  and  one  of 
the  marked  features  of  his  executive  action  has  been 
the  kindly  exercise  of  unlimited  and  undisputed 
authority.  There  is  no  recollection  of  his  having 
displayed  impatience  or  irritable  temper,  even  under 
very  vexatious  circumstances.  His  manner  was 
always  friendly,  frank  and  appreciative,  so  that  the 
disposition  of  the  men  subject  to  his  control,  was 
always  found  to  be  actuated  by  a  desire  to  accom- 
plish all  that  was  possible  for  the  interest  of  the  in- 
stitution over  which  Mr.  Plant  presided,  sufficiently 
encouraged  and  cheered  by  the  hope  of  his  appro- 
bation. So  close  an  eye  did  he  keep  upon  the 
services  rendered  by  the  most  insignificant  employee, 
that  no  service  well  rendered  failed  to  receive  his 
personal  endorsement  and  approval. 

"  By  reason  of  his  evenly  balanced  judgment  and 
temper,  his  relations  with  the  chief  officers  of  rail- 
road and  steamship  companies  over  and  by  which 
express  service  was  transacted,  and  with  bank  offi- 
cials— who  were  then  our  chief  patrons — were  always 
of  the  kindliest  character,  and  he  always  enjoyed 
their  perfect  confidence  and  highest  respect. 

"  In  fact,  all  of  the  characteristics,  which  have  made 
his  later  life  the  magnificent  success  which  the  coun- 
try appreciates,  were  developed  and  maintained 
throughout  his  early  business  experience. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant 


101 


"There  is  nothing  new  or  peculiar  about  the  facts 
to  which  I  have  referred,  because  they  are  well  known 
and  appreciated  by  hundreds  of  men  now  in  the 
service,  who  have  been  continuously  with  it  since  its 
organization. 

"  Very  respectfully  and  truly, 

"  RuFus  B.  Bullock." 


CHAPTER   IX. 


Mr.  Plant's  Industry  and  Power  to  Endure  Continuous  Strain — Labor 
of  Examining  and  Answering  his  Enormous  Mail — Letter  from 
Japan— Mail  Delivered  Regularly  to  him  at  Home  and  Abroad — 
His  Private  Car,  its  Style,  Structure,  Hospitality,  and  Cheering 
Presence— Numerous  Calls— The  Secret  of  his  Endurance— The 
Esteem  and  Love  of  the  Southern  Express  Company  for  its  Presi- 
dent—Mr. Plant  Enjoys  Social  Life— He  is  a  Great  Lover  of  almost 
all  Kinds  of  Music— Mr.  Plant  a  Medical  Benefactor— Some  of  the 
Progress  Made  in  the  Healing  Art— Bishop  of  Winchester's  High 
Estimate  of  the  Value  of  Health— Dr.  Long's  Opinion  of  the  Gulf 
Coast  as  a  Health  Restorer— Unrecognized  Medicines  in  Restor- 
ing Lost  Health— Nervousness  among  the  American  People— The 
Soothing  and  Strengthening  Effect  of  Florida  Climate— Mr. 
Plant's  Part  in  Facilitating  Travel  and  Providing  Comfortable 
Accommodations  for  the  Invalid. 

MR.  PLANT'S  industry  and  power  of  endurance 
are  a  marvel  to  those  around  him  in  office 
work.  Over  five  hundred  letters  a  week  received  is 
no  unusual  thing.  These  are  read  to  him  by  his 
private  secretary,  and  answered  under  his  direction 
or  dictation.  They  come  from  the  three  different 
departments  of  the  Plant  System,  which  extends  over 
many  thousands  of  miles,  by  land  and  by  sea,  and  in 
its  Express  department  forwards  goods  over  a  mileage 
greater  than  the  circumference  of  the  globe. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  103 

Some  of  these  letters  require  deliberation,  skill, 
care,  and  sound  judgment  in  replying  to  the  many 
complex  questions  of  such  a  large  and  important 
business  as  the  Plant  System  covers.  Others  are  less 
complicated  and  more  easily  disposed  of,  while  many 
are  of  a  social  character,  from  Mr.  Plant's  numerous 
friends  scattered,  I  might  say,  over  the  world.  One 
day  while  sitting  in  his  office  at  Tampa  Bay  Hotel, 
he  said  :  "  I  had  a  very  pleasant  letter  this  morning 
from  Japan.  Some  lady  missionaries  there  write  me 
of  an  excursion  I  once  gave  them  in  Florida,  which 
afforded  them  much  enjoyment  and  of  which  they 
write  in  enthusiastic  appreciation  though  it  occurred 
many  years  ago,  and  I  had  forgotten  all  about  it." 

This  large  mail  is  a  matter  of  daily  occurrence.  No 
day  in  the  whole  week  is  free  from  its  arrival.  If  he 
travels,  as  he  often  does  in  his  own  elegant  private 
car,  his  mail  is  delivered  at  important  stations  all 
along  the  road.  Being  in  constant  communication 
with  all  departments  of  the  System  by  telegraph, 
telephone,  or  messenger,  his  mail  is  forwarded  to  him 
promptly  at  all  railroad  stations  named  for  its  de- 
livery, is  examined  and  replied  to  as  readily  as  if  in 
his  main  office  in  New  York  City,  for  he  has  an  office, 
desk,  and  all  needed  facilities  in  his  car  for  sending 
out  telegrams,  letters,  or  messages  from  the  different 
stations  by  the  way.  His  car  is  a  model  of  con- 
venience, comfort,  and  elegance  in  all  its  appoint- 


104  The  Life  of 

ments.  It  is  finished  in  richly  carved  mahogany, 
upholstered  and  curtained  in  rich  blue  velvet,  with 
numerous  windows  and  mirrors  of  heavy  French 
plate  glass.  It  is  numbered  "  100,"  and  known  all 
over  the  South.  Its  entrance  at  any  station  causes 
sunshine  to  break  on  every  face,  and  the  old  colored 
men  who  come,  bucket  in  hand,  to  wash  and  polish  it 
where  it  happens  to  remain  over  a  night  or  a  day  at 
the  station,  are  fairly  beaming  when  they  greet 
"  Massa  Plant "  and  are  always  paid  back  in  their 
own  coin  with  United  States  currency  added.  Every 
old  "uncle"  at  the  railroad  stations  in  the  Cotton 
States  knows  "  Car  100,"  and  asks  no  better  holiday 
than  to  "  shine  her." 

To  return  to  the  enormous  office  work  of  the  Pres- 
ident of  this  great  system  of  transfer  and  traffic,  it  is 
a  marvel  how  he  has  stood  it  all  these  years.  It  is 
no  unusual  thing  for  him  at  Tampa  to  spend  two 
hours  in  hard  work  in  examining  his  mail  before 
breakfast,  then  till  luncheon,  with  perhaps  an  hour's 
intermission,  and  then  work  until  late  in  the  after- 
noon. His  numerous  calls  from  all  sorts  and  classes 
of  people,  are  a  constant  strain  upon  brain  and  nerve, 
not  to  say  heart  at  times.  The  secret  of  this  endur- 
ance of  long  and  fatiguing  work,  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  to  a  sound  constitution,  inherited  from 
a  hardy,  thrifty  ancestry,  Mr.  Plant  has  added  a  tem- 
perate life  and  great  moderation  in  the  use  of  stimu- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  105 

lants.  While  a  man  of  quick  intuition  and  keen 
sensibility,  he  has  shown  the  most  wonderful  self- 
control  in  the  most  trying  circumstances.  When 
others  would  be  agitated  and  wholly  thrown  off 
their  balance  Mr.  Plant  would  remain  calm,  quiet, 
cool,  and  clear-headed  to  a  degree  that  stilled  the 
tempest  all  around,  and  effected  an  amicable  adjust- 
ment of  matters  most  important  as  they  were  most 
complicated  and  difficult  of  settlement.  This  self- 
control  is  joined  with  great  fertility  of  resources, 
great  charity  for  the  peculiarities  of  men,  and  withal 
a  kindliness  of  nature,  a  disposition  not  to  hurt  any 
one,  that  have  enabled  him  to  render  services  to  his 
associates  and  to  his  country  that  may  not  now  be 
told,  and  perhaps  will  never  be  known  until  the  great 
day  when  the  "  cup  of  cold  water  "  shall  be  rewarded. 
Mr.  Plant  is  never  in  a  hurry,  much  less  is  he  ever 
flurried,  chafed,  or  worried  about  anything.  All  he 
does  is  done  deliberately,  systematically,  easily,  and 
once  done  it  seldom  or  never  has  to  be  gone  over 
again.     "  Make  the  best  of  everything,"  is  his  motto. 

A  gentleman  occupying  a  prominent  position  in 
the  express  department  of  the  Plant  System  writes  : 

"  It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  acknowledge  the 
esteem  and  love  of  the  Southern  Express  Company's 
employees,  known  to  me,  for  Mr.  Plant,  who  has 
favored  us  so  often  with  his  kindness,  liberality,  and 
mercy  even  when  we  were  at  fault.     My  knowledge 


106  The  Life  of 

extends  back  about  thirty  years,  having  commenced 
with  the  Southern  Express  Company  in  North  Caro- 
lina in  1866,  and  having  worked  in  Tennessee,  Ala- 
bama, Louisiana,  Georgia,  Kentucky,  and  Mississippi 
since  that  time,  mingling  very  freely  and  socially 
with  my  fellow -employees.  I  have  never  heard  one 
word  of  condemnation  of  Mr.  Plant  during  all  that 
time  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  hearty,  free  expression 
of  respect  and  affection  for  the  man  who,  by  divine 
aid,  had  done  so  much  for  the  whole  South  as  well 
as  the  great  number  of  employees  in  the  Southern 
Express. 

"  Faithfully 

"  I.  S.  S.  A." 

In  long  years  of  intimate  association  with  Mr. 
Plant  I  have  never  heard  him  utter  a  profane  word 
or  a  bitter  expression  against  any  one. 

"Greater  is  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city,"  said  the  wise  man.  Mr.  Plant  has 
told  me  himself  that  if  he  learned  of  any  one  made 
unhappy  by  anything  he  had  ever  done  or  said,  or 
if  any  misunderstanding  should  arise,  he  could  not 
rest  until  all  was  settled  to  mutual  satisfaction,  and 
that,  too,  just  as  speedily  as  possible.  "  Charity  for 
all,  malice  toward  none,"  briefly  expresses  the  spirit, 
tone,  and  temper  of  this  great  and  good  man.  Hence 
he  has  been  saved  the  consuming  force  of  friction  and 
hatred  which  grind  and  wear  out  so  many  before 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  107 

their  time.  The  young  men  now  entering  public 
life  will  find  most  valuable  suggestion  even  in  this 
brief  record  of  a  life  so  large,  useful,  and  honored, 
through  a  period  of  our  country's  history  the  most 
intense  as  it  has  been  the  most  important  since  the 
daj^s  of  the  Revolution  and  the  formation  of  a  free 
and  independent  republic. 

His  busy  life  has  made  him  neither  a  recluse,  a 
pessimist,  nor  a  slave  of  the  world.  He  has  been  a 
good  deal  in  society — both  as  guest  and  host  he  has 
mingled  freely  with  his  fellow-men  and  enjoyed  to 
the  full  the  pleasures  of  friendly  reciprocity. 

Mr.  Plant's  love  of  music,  in  a  man  of  his  years 
and  busy  life,  is  remarkable.  He  says  :  "  Music  rests 
me,  and  helps  me  to  sleep  when  I  retire  for  the 
night,  while  I  find  it  a  great  enjoyment  in  my  wak- 
ing hours.  It  is  medicine  to  me."  Hence  he  is 
often  seen  spending  the  last  hours  of  the  day  in  the 
music  room  of  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  enjoying  with 
the  guests  the  delightful  music  rendered  with  such 
exquisite  taste  by  the  skilled  orchestra.  Mr.  Plant 
is  familiar  with  the  best  of  the  modern  operas  as 
well  as  with  the  finest  classical  music  of  the  past. 
Among  his  favorites  are  Haydn,  Handel,  and  Mozart. 
He  is  also  fond  of  popular  ballads  and  songs,  such 
as  Moore's  melodies  and  national  patriotic  songs.  He 
says  he  enjoys  even  the  hurdy-gurdy. 

Mr.  Plant  might  be  termed  a  medical  benefactor, — 


108  The  Life  of 

a  health  restorer, — because  of  the  results  of  his  work 
for  the  South  and  the  North  as  well.  In  no  depart- 
ment of  scientific  advancement  during  the  last  half- 
century  has  progress  been  more  marked  than  in  the 
department  of  medicine.  The  healing  art,  in  its  lessen- 
ing of  pain  and  in  the  prevention  and  cure  of  disease, 
has  made,  and  is  daily  making,  the  most  wonderful 
discoveries.  What  a  boon  to  suffering  humanity 
was  the  discovery  of  ether  by  Dr.  Charles  T.  Jack- 
son, of  Boston,  in  1846,  who  found  that  by  the  in- 
haling of  this  anaesthetic  the  patient  is  rendered 
unconscious  of  pain.  Vaccine  inoculation,  introduced 
by  Dr.  Jenner  in  1799,  has  prevented  the  spread  of 
that  much  dreaded  disease,  small-pox.  The  name  of 
Dr.  Koch  will  long  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance 
for  his  earnest  efforts  to  cure  consumption,  as  will 
those  of  Pasteur  to  cure  hydrophobia.  The  Southern 
States  today  have  thousands  of  people  in  ordinary 
good  health,  many  of  them  in  excellent  health,  who, 
ten,  twenty,  or  thirty  years  ago,  were  given  up  by 
their  physcians  as  past  recovery  and  soon  to  die.  But 
thirty  years  ago  the  modes  of  travel  to  the  South 
and  the  lack  of  adequate  provision  there  for  invalids 
were  such  as  only  a  person  in  fair  health  could  bear. 
Through  Mr.  Plant's  efforts  in  large  measure,  both  of 
these  requisites  for  a  sick  man,  or  a  delicate  woman, 
have  reached  a  state  of  perfection  difficult  to 
improve. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  109 

At  the  banquet  given  to  Mr.  Plant  at  Leesburg, 
Florida,  in  the  winter  of  1896,  one  of  the  speakers 
referring  to  what  Mr.  Plant  had  done  for  the  North 
as  well  as  for  the  South,  said  :  "  In  the  '  Dixie '  land 
he  has  made  the  desert  to  bloom  like  the  rose,  changed 
waste  places  into  fertile  fields,  the  swamps  into  a 
sanitarium,  the  sand  heap  into  a  Champs  Elysees,  the 
Hillsborough  into  a  Seine,  and  reproduced  the  palace 
of  Versailles  on  the  banks  of  Tampa  Bay,  and  away 
up  in  freezing,  shivering  New  England  and  Canada, 
when  the  doctor  had  written  his  last  recipe  and  the 
druggist  had  emptied  his  last  bottle  and  the  under- 
taker was  at  the  front  door,  our  friend  has  placed 
the  patient  in  a  wheeled  palace,  and  signalled,  '  On 
to  Richmond,'  not  to  die,  but  to  live ;  and  old  Vir- 
ginia has  smiled  on  the  dying  man.  North  Carolina 
has  fairly  laughed  aloud.  South  Carolina  has  taken 
him  into  her  warm  embrace,  and  Florida  has  thrown 
flowers  not  on  his  coffin  but  on  the  resurrected  Laza- 
rus, and  the  family  have  invited  their  friends,  not  to 
a  funeral,  but  to  a  feast.  The  Plant  System  ships 
have  ploughed  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  spanned  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  and  have  brought  health  and  happi- 
ness to  many  homes  over  which  bereavement  and 
sorrow  were  hovering  like  the  black  angel  of  death." 

The  Bishop  of  Winchester  once  said  :  "  The  first 
thing  is  good  health,  and  the  second  is  to  keep  it, 
and  the  third  to  protect  it.     Then  arises  the  question, 


no  The  Life  of 

where  shall  we  go  ? "  It  is  not  known  that  the  noted 
physician  had  ever  seen  the  Bishop's  question  when 
he  wrote  :  "  Were  I  sent  abroad  to  search  for  a  haven 
of  rest  for  tired  man,  where  new  life  would  come 
with  every  sun,  and  slumber  full  of  sleep  with  every 
night,  I  would  select  the  Gulf  Coast  of  Florida.  It 
is  the  kindest  spot,  the  most  perfect  paradise ;  more 
beautiful  it  could  not  be  made,  still,  calm  and  elo- 
quent in  every  feature."  This  was  said  by  Dr.  Long, 
an  army  physician  in  charge  at  Fort  Brook,  Tampa. 
The  power  of  the  fine  arts  over  the  mind,  and  of  the 
mind  over  the  body,  are  demonstrated  facts.  The 
most  frequent  and  depressing  of  ailments  among 
Americans  is  nervousness  in  various  forms,  and  in 
different  stages  of  progress,  from  morbid  sensitive- 
ness to  utter  prostration.  In  many  cases  medicine 
merely  aggravates  it.  Its  chief  symptoms  are  irrita- 
bility and  wretchedness,  often  ending  in  suicide. 
Healing  must  come  largely  through  the  mind  in  rest, 
peace,  comfort,  and  pleasant  occupation. 

While  the  mind  in  this  condition  cannot  bear  strain, 
neither  can  it  be  idle.  Idleness  induces  morbid- 
ness and  misery.  Physical  comfort  must  not  be  neg- 
lected, but  there  must  be  wholesome,  nourishing  food, 
pure  air,  and  proper  exercise.  Hence,  the  value 
of  the  well-equipped  and  elegantly  finished  Pull- 
man palace  car,  and  the  well-built  steamer  designed 
for  comfort  and  safety,  furnished  and  finished  in  a 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  HI 

style  that  delights  the  eye  and  ministers  to  the  en- 
joyment of  every  faculty.  Hence  the  luxuriant 
hotel,  with  all  its  home  comforts,  its  artistic  adorn- 
ments, and  its  princely  entertainment,  beauty  for  the 
eye,  music  for  the  ear,  feasting  the  aesthetic  while 
feeding  the  materialistic  nature  of  man.  All  this 
enjoyment,  while  a  soft,  balmy  air  is  breathed  be- 
neath a  clear,  blue  sky,  and  while  the  invalid  is 
bathed  in  the  bright,  warm  sunshine  of  a  southern 
clime,  induces  repose,  peace,  content,  happiness,  and 
health.  The  spirit  loses  its  irritability,  the  mind 
regains  its  elasticity,  sleep  refreshes  the  tired  brain, 
food  nourishes  the  exhausted  body,  the  whole  man 
is  renewed,  and  life  that  was  not  worth  living  has 
become  an  inspiration,  a  joy,  an  heroic  and  manly 
achievement. 

It  should  be  said  here  that  up  to  the  time  that 
Mr.  Plant  established  the  steamship  line  between 
Tampa  and  Havana,  there  had  been  no  regular  com- 
munication between  those  two  ports  during  the 
quarantine  season.  There  were  some  irregular  op- 
portunities of  transfer  when  passengers  were  de- 
tained for  days  to  be  investigated,  fumigated,  and 
harassed  by  quarantine  regulations.  Mr.  Plant 
held  that  ships  could  be  built  and  managed  that 
would  make  communication  as  safe  in  summer  as  in 
winter,  and  he  has  proved  the  correctness  of  his 
theory.     In  ten  years  of  regular  service,  the  steamer 


112  The  Life  of 

M ascot te  has  never  had  a  case  of  yellow  fever. 
Through  Mr.  Plant's  suggestions,  the  Tampa  Board 
of  Health  has  established  rules  and  regulations  for 
travel  to  the  West  Indian  ports  which  make  it  per- 
fectly safe  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  so  far  as  con- 
tagion from  disease  is  concerned. 

How  much  Mr.  Plant  has  done  to  bring  this 
blessed  change  to  thousands,  many  beautiful  tributes 
testify  in  the  public  press  of  our  times.  The  ex- 
pressions of  enjoyment  in  the  following  letters  could 
be  extended  almost  indefinitely.  In  the  Saint  Au- 
gustine News  of  March,  1895,  an  enthusiastic  corre- 
spondent writes:  "  It  was  early  in  the  present  century 
that  this  man  of  brains  and  bounty  appeared  on  the 
great  stage,  and  began  a  career  scarce  equalled  by 
any  in  the  annals  of  American  financiers,  and  it  is  to 
him  that  Florida  owes  a  debt  of  gratitude,  deeper 
than  to  any  other  man — and  this  man  is  H.  B.  Plant. 
Favored  indeed  is  Florida,  not  only  in  climate, 
scenery,  and  fruit,  but  with  the  munificence  of  these 
mighty-hearted  millionaires,  who  have  Alladin-like 
metamorphosed  the  sunny  peninsula  into  a  veritable 
fairyland.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  H.  B. 
Plant,  who  has  transmogrified  Tampa,  and  ribboned 
Florida  with  his  railroad  system.  As  usual  with 
men  of  great  minds  and  means,  he  is  wholly  unpre- 
tentious, as  much  so  as  his  humblest  employee.  He  is 
anything  but  fastidious ;  yet  he  is  a  clean-cut  man  of 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  113 

the  world,  of  vast  business  capacity,  a  keen,  pene- 
trating financier,  and  altogether  lovable  in  his  do- 
mestic life.  His  shipping  interests  extend  from 
Halifax  to  Boston,  his  express  and  rail  lines  from 
New  York  to  Tampa  and  New  Orleans,  and  his 
connecting  vessels  run  from  Cuba  and  all  Gulf  of 
Mexico  ports.  Mr.  Plant's  homes  are  the  family 
place  in  Branford,  Connecticut,  a  palace  on  Fifth 
Avenue,  New  York,  and  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel  in 
winter.  Mr.  Plant's  family  consists  of  a  son  who  will 
succeed  to  his  great  responsibility  and  estate." 

Writing  from  Cuba  in  January  1888,  "J.  C.  B." 
says  in  his  "  Notes  "  : 

"In  the  language  of  an  intelligent  observer,  writing 
from  Havana  early  in  the  present  month,  it  would 
be  difficult  to  find  any  other  interesting  foreign  land, 
when  its  accessibility  is  considered,  so  worthy  the 
attention  of  American  travellers  as  Cuba.  To  the 
average  thought  of  one  who  has  not  visited  it,  it 
seems  far  and  repellent.     It  is  neither  of  these. 

"  The  improved  special  fast  facilities  furnished  by 
the  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  the  Atlantic  Coast  line, 
the  Plant  system  of  railways,  and  its  new,  swift,  and 
superb  steamships,  carry  you  from  the  American  to 
the  Cuban  metropolis  in  three  days. 

"  While  the  north  shore  of  the  island  has  three  im- 
portant harbors — Havana,  Mantanzas,  and  Cardenas 
— the  former  is  incomparably  the  finest  and  most 


114  The  Life  of 

spacious ;  the  city,  to  the  west  of  the  gleaming  bay, 
is  a  rare  study  in  Moorish,  Saxon,  and  Doric  architec- 
ture.    The  scene  has  been  thus  pen-pictured  : 

" '  On  the  east  side,  where  the  close  jaws  of  the 
harbor  open,  and  clambering  up  the  mountain  side 
where  frown  the  landward  outworks  of  Moro  Castle, 
is  Casa  Bianca,  with  its  queer  villas  and  structures, 
each  one  standing  out  in  this  wonderful  daylight  of 
the  tropics  in  such  distinctness,  and  with  such  a 
strange  seeming  of  approaching  and  growing  propor- 
tions, that,  in  your  fancy,  the  houses  individually 
become  great  pillared  temples.  In  and  over  and 
through  this  dreamful  spot,  away  up  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  thread  and  run  such  indescribable  wealth 
of  vegetation  that,  as  you  look  again  and  again,  the 
clustered,  shining  houses  seem  like  great  white  grapes 
bursting  through  a  glorious  wealth  of  vines  and 
leaves. 

"  '  Beyond  Casa  Bianca  the  bay  debouches  to  the 
east.  Here  is  a  veritable  valley  of  rest.  Every  half 
a  mile  is  a  little  cluster  of  homes  set  in  a  marvellous 
wealth  of  rose  and  bloom.  Beyond  this  valley  are 
seen  pretty  villages,  each  with  its  half-ruined  church, 
whose  only  suggestion  of  use  or  occupation  is  had  in 
the  din  of  never-ceasing  chimes;  and  still  beyond 
these  are  uplands  which  almost  reach  the  dignity  of 
mountains,  upon  whose  far  and  receding  serrated 
heights  an  occasional  cocoa  tree  or  royal  palm  looms 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  115 

lonely  as  a  ghostly  sentinel  upon  some  mediaeval 
tower. 

"  *  Farther  to  the  south  lie  the  great  Santa  Catalina 
warehouses,  where  the  saccharine  source  of  Cuba's 
wealth  is  stored  in  huge  hogsheads,  or  rests  dark  as 
lakes  of  pitch  in  tremendous  vats.  Behind  these  is 
Regia,  the  lesser  Havana,  across  the  harbor,  with  its 
churches,  its  quaint  old  markets,  its  cockpits,  its 
ceaseless  fandangoes  and  its  bull  pen.  Over  be- 
yond this,  set  like  a  gleaming  nest  in  the  crest  of  the 
mountains,  a  glimpse  is  caught  of  Guanabacoa,  full 
of  beautiful  villas,  beautiful  gardens  and  fountains, 
and  in  the  olden  times  the  then  oldest  Indian  village 
of  which  Cuban  legends  tell.  Beyond  Regia  to  the 
south,  and  upon  the  shores  of  the  bay,  is  the  ferry 
and  railroad  station,  whence  thousands  reach  the  out- 
lying villas,  or  leave  the  capital  for  the  various  sea- 
ports of  the  northern  coast ;  and  right  here,  night 
and  day,  is  as  busy  and  interesting  a  spot  for  the 
study  of  manner  and  character  as  may  be  found  in 
all  Cuba.  At  this  station  is  seen  a  famous  statue  to 
Edouard  Fesser,  founder  of  the  Havana  warehouse 
system.  The  entire  southern  portion  of  the  bay, 
where  some  day  the  barren  shore  line  will  be  lined 
with  great  warehouses  and  docks,  is  filled  with  old 
hulls  of  sunken  steamers  and  ships,  conveying  the 
keenest  sense  of  desolation,  and  the  shore  here  rises 
to   uplands  bare  as  Sahara,  until,  skirting  to  the 


116  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

right,  the  bold  mountain,  Jesu  del  Monte,  is  seen; 
and  then  come  the  great  outlying  forts  extending  far 
around  to  the  sea.  Between  you  and  these,  if  still 
aboard-ship,  you  see  Havana's  domes  and  minarets, 
and,  to  all  intents,  you  are  anchored  in  a  sceneful 
harbor  of  old  Spain.' 

"  This  schedule  of  the  quick  mail  service  performed 
by  the  elegant  steamers,  Mascotte  and  Olivette,  of 
the  Plant  line,  in  connection  with  the  railway  sys- 
tem heretofore  mentioned  between  Tampa  and  Key 
West,  in  the  east,  affords  but  a  few  brief  hours  of 
rest  in  the  harbor  at  Havana.  Upon  the  first  ap- 
pearance of  the  Olivette,  fresh  from  her  conspicuous 
performances  in  distancing  the  fleet  of  steamers 
which  accompanied  the  racing  yachts  of  the  interna- 
tional regatta,  the  writer  had  the  good  fortune  to  be 
among  the  invited  guests  who  paid  a  visit  to  this 
magnificent  vessel,  which  is  justly  the  pride  of  her 
distinguished  owner,  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  the  President 
and  Managing  Director  of  the  Plant  System  of  rail- 
ways and  steamships." 


CHAPTER  X. 

Reason  for  Submitting  Press  Sketches  of  Mr.  Plant— Descriptive 
America,  December,  188Q— City  Items,  December,  188&— Rail- 
road Topics— Home  Journal,  New  York,  March,  1896 — F.  G.  De 
Fontain  in  same  Journal — Ocala  Evening  Times  June,  1896 — 
Express  Gazette. 

IN  the  following  chapter  are  given  a  few  press 
notices  of  Mr.  Plant  and  his  work  in  the  South, 
because  they  contain  reliable  information  of  some 
of  that  work  which  we  have  left  to  them  to  chron- 
icle, and  because  they  are  public  expressions  of  the 
appreciation  of  that  work  and  of  the  justly  high 
esteem,  and  friendly  regard  in  which  the  worker  is 
held  by  the  people  among  whom  and  for  whom  he 
has  spent  the  best  part  of  his  life.  Instead  of  a  brief 
chapter,  a  volume  of  such  complimentary  sketches 
might  be  presented,  written  in  even  stronger  language 
than  is  here  used  and  by  masters  in  the  art  of 
writing.  But  these  few  will  suffice  to  show  the  deep 
interest  of  the  people  in  the  life  and  work  of  their 
friend  and  benefactor,  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant. 

The  following  extract  is  taken  from  the  ^Florida 
number  of  Descriptive  America. 


118  The  Life  of 

RATLEOAD   AND    EXPRESS    PRESIDENT. 

"  In  our  Wisconsin  number  we  gave  the  life-history 
of  one  man  who,  beginning  as  a  farmer's  son,  had, 
by  his  energy,  ability,  and  integrity,  come  to  occupy 
a  position  of  great  power,  wealth,  and  usefulness, 
and  we  emphasized  the  point,  that,  while  he  had  been 
wonderfully  successful,  his  highest  claim  to  our 
admiration,  lay  in  the  fact  that,  whenever  the  oppor- 
tunity offered,  he  had  sought  the  prosperity  of  the 
nation,  the  state,  or  the  city  of  his  adoption,  and  had 
made  his  own  gain  and  increasing  wealth  subordin- 
ate to  the  public  weal.  In  this  number  we  have 
some  similar  characters,  who,  if  their  wealth  does 
not  equal  that  of  the  great  banker  and  railroad  king, 
have  at  least  followed  his  good  example. 

"  Such  men  are  always  modest,  their  achievements 
seem  to  them  very  small,  compared  with  what  they 
might  and  should  have  done,  and  they  shrink  from 
publicity  with  genuine  dread.  One  of  these  men  is 
the  subject  of  our  present  sketch,  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant. 

"  Mr.  Plant  is  of  pure  Puritan  stock  ;  his  earliest 
American  ancestors  left  England  about  1640,  and  if 
they  were  not  among  the  little  company  who  came 
with  John  Davenport  to  Quinnipiac,  afterward 
called  New  Haven,  they  followed  very  soon  after. 
They  settled  in  Branford,  Connecticut,  a  town 
lying  between  New  Haven  and  Guilford,  at  which 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  119 

place  some  of  Davenport's  most  eminent  men  soon  es- 
tablished themselves.  The  Plants  of  Branford  were 
a  good  family,  and  they  have  always  borne  a  high 
reputation  through  the  eight  or  nine  generations 
which  have  elapsed  since  they  first  established  them- 
selves in  Branford.  They  were  intelligent,  thought- 
ful farmers,  industrious,  sound  thinkers,  orthodox  in 
faith,  and  leading  those  quiet  country  lives,  of  which 
the  old  New  England  towns  presented  so  many  ex- 
amples. The  village  minister  was  a  man  greatly 
reverenced  by  all  his  people,  and  if  a  youth  of  more 
than  ordinary  promise  could  be  instructed  under  his 
direction,  it  was  something  to  be  proud  of. 

"  To  one  of  these  Branford  families,  the  represent- 
ative Plant  family  in  the  town,  several  children  were 
born  in  the  earlier  decades  of  the  present  century; 
one  of  them,  H.  B.  Plant,  gladdening  their  hearts  in 
October,  1819.  He  must  have  been  a  boy  of  con- 
siderable promise,  for  after  the  usual  course  of  study 
in  the  District  Schools,  not  at  that  time  of  a  very 
high  grade,  he  spent  several  terms  in  the  Branford 
Academy,  then  under  the  oversight  of  the  Branford 
pastor.  Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillett,  a  man  of  high 
scholarship  and  great  aptitude  for  teaching.  Whether 
he  had  any  aspirations  for  a  collegiate  course,  we 
do  not  know ;  but  he  did  not  rest  content,  till  he 
had  completed  his  course  of  study  with  John  E. 
Lovell,  of  New  Haven,  the  founder  of  the  Lancaste- 


120  The  Life  of 

rian  system  of  instruction  in  America,  and,  at  that 
time,  the  most  celebrated  teacher  in  the  country. 

"  His  school  days  over,  Mr.  Plant  soon  found  em- 
ployment on  the  steamboat  line  plying  between 
New  Haven  and  New  York.  Very  soon,  one  of  the 
first  express  lines  ever  established  in  this  country, 
known  as  Beecher's  New  York  and  New  Haven 
Express,  was  started,  and  young  Plant  became  in- 
terested in  it,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has 
always  been  largely  engaged  in  the  express  business. 
His  first  important  interest  in  it  was  with  Adams 
Express.  In  1853,  he  went  to  the  South,  and  estab- 
lished expresses  upon  the  southern  railroads,  as  a 
branch  enterprise  of  Adams  Express.  In  1861,  he 
organized  the  Southern  Express  Co.,  and  became  its 
president,  and  has  continued  so  to  the  present  time. 
He  is  also  president  of  the  Texas  Express  Co.  In 
1853,  he  visited  Florida  for  the  first  time,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  health  of  an  invalid  wife.  There  was 
no  means  of  communication  with  Jacksonville,  ex- 
cept by  steamers  up  the  St.  John's.  The  place  was 
small  and  the  accommodations  meagre,  but  the  fine 
climate  and  mild  and  balmy  air  were  the  means  of 
prolonging  her  life  many  years,  and  from  that  time 
he  made  yearly  visits  thither.  During  these  visits 
the  place  grew,  and  he  saw  the  necessity  for  railway 
communication  with  that  and  many  other  points  in 
Florida ;  but  he  devoted  most  of  his  attention  to  his 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  121 

extensive  express  business,  until  1879,  though  own- 
ing large  blocks  of  railroad  stocks,  particularly  in  the 
Georgia  and  Florida  Railways.  In  1879,  with  some 
friends,  he  purchased  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Kailroad 
of  Georgia,  and  subsequently  organized  the  Savan- 
nah, Florida,  and  Western  Railroad,  of  which  he  be- 
came president.  Soon  afterwards  he  extended  this 
railroad  to  the  Chattahoochee  River,  and  he  also 
constructed  a  new  line  from  Way  Cross  to  Jackson- 
ville. 

"  The  Savannah  and  Charleston  Railroad  (now  the 
Charleston  and  Savannah),  had  been  in  the  courts 
for  many  years,  but,  in  1880,  Mr.  Plant  purchased 
and  thoroughly  rebuilt  it ;  his  purpose  being  to  per- 
fect the  connections  between  Florida,  Charleston,  and 
the  North. 

"The  immense  labor  connected  with  the  manage- 
ment of  these  railways,  and  of  the  vast  business 
connected  with  the  expresses,  led  Mr.  Plant  and  his 
associates  to  organize  the  Plant  Investment  Co.,  to 
control  these  railways,  and  also  to  manage  and  ex- 
tend, in  the  interest  of  its  stockholders,  the  Florida 
Southern  and  the  South  Florida  Railway.  The 
former  road  was  extended  by  the  Investment  Com- 
pany to  Tampa,  and  to  Bartow,  and  they  are  now 
building  it  to  Pemberton  Ferry,  where  it  will  be 
joined  by  the  South  Florida  line  thus  making  con- 
nection via   Gainesville   with   South   Florida,    and 


122  The  Life  of 

via  Tampa  for  Key  West  and  the  West  India 
Islands. 

"  In  connection  with  these  railroads,  we  may  well 
answer  the  question  which  is  of  special  importance 
to  us  in  this  Florida  number. 

"What  has  Mr.  Plant  done  for  Florida?  We  an- 
swer in  general,  that  he  has  rendered  the  culture  of 
the  orange  and  of  the  other  perishable  products  of 
the  State  profitable,  has  greatly  facilitated  the  occu- 
pation of  the  best  lands  of  the  State,  opened  the  way 
for  the  settlement  of  the  lauds  of  Southern  Florida, 
given  free  and  ready  access  to  the  Gulf  ports,  and 
thence  to  Mobile,  New  Orleans,  and  Galveston,  and 
established  a  regular,  frequent,  and  prompt  steam- 
boat service  on  the  St.  John's  River. 

"  How  has  he  done  this  ?  When  he  had  purchased 
and  rebuilt  the  Charleston  and  Savannah  Railroad, 
access  to  the  interior  of  Florida  was  difficult  and  al- 
most impracticable  except  by  wagon  road.  There 
was  irregular  and  fitful  navigation  of  the  St.  John's 
River,  but  the  steamboats  ran  when  they  had  suffi- 
cient freight,  and  only  then.  There  had  been  some 
railroads  built  (especially  those  of  the  Yulee  system) 
but  the  country  was  undeveloped,  and  as  the  orange 
groves  required  from  five  to  ten  years  of  growth 
before  they  came  into  profitable  bearing,  meanwhile 
the  railways  were  suffeiing  for  want  of  freight  and 
were  unprofitable.     Mr.  Plant  was  convinced  that 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  123 

although  a  more  rapid  development  was  in  progress, 
there  would  still  be  delay  before  the  railroads  he 
proposed  to  build  would  prove  paying  investments. 
He  therefore  determined  to  avail  himself  of  the  land 
grants  already  made,  and  to  keep  them  in  repair. 
"  The  orange  product  would  not  bear  jolting  over 
wagon  roads,  or  being  stacked  up  on  the  wharves 
waiting  for  the  uncertain  coming  of  the  steamers. 
His  first  move  was  to  build  a  railway  direct  from 
Way  Cross,  Ga.,  to  Jacksonville,  thus  bringing  his 
Georgia  roads  into  immediate  communication  with 
a  port  on  the  St.  John's  River.  He  then  established 
a  steamboat  line  on  that  river  which  was  regular, 
prompt,  efficient,  and  carried  freight  at  low  rates. 
Meantime  a  road  had  been  constructed  from  Jackson- 
ville to  Palatka,  making  connection  with  St.  Augus- 
tine via  Tocoi;  this  road  is  now  being  extended 
to  cross  the  river  a  few  miles  above  Palatka  and 
thence  by  way  of  De  Land  and  other  places,  re-cross- 
ins:  the  St.  John's  a  short  distance  north  of  Lake 
Monroe ;  thence  proceeding  to  Sanford  where  it 
will  form  a  connection  with  the  South  Florida,  thus 
opening  up  the  fine  highlands  west  of  the  St.  John's 
and  those  east  of  that  river  to  a  ready  market,  and 
giving  choice  of  a  river  or  rail  transportation  at 
several  points.  The  Legislature  having  granted 
a  charter  for  a  railway  connecting  Palatka  with 
Lake  City  by  way  of  Gainesville  and  thence  down 


124  The  Life  of 

the  peninsula  it  was  taken  in  hand  by  capitalists 
from  Boston,  and  connection  made  by  rail  between 
Gainesville,  Palatka,  and  Leesburg. 

"  With  this  company  Mr.  Plant  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  construction  of  the  road  from  Gaines- 
ville west  to  a  connection  with  the  Southern 
extension  of  the  Savannah,  Florida  and  Western 
Railroad  which  has  been  constructed  and  is  now 
in  operation. 

"A  branch  will  soon  be  built  to  connect  it  with 
Lake  City. 

"  By  reference  to  our  map,  it  will  be  seen  that 
these  roads  traverse  all  the  counties  of  the  interior, 
down  to  the  Everglades,  and  open  them  to  settle- 
ment and  to  profitable  orange  culture  and  the  pro- 
duction of  sugar,  cotton,  and  rice.  These  roads 
have  brought  actual  settlers  by  scores  of  thousands 
to  occupy  these  rich  and  fertile  lands,  the  finest  in 
the  State,  and  other  railway  companies,  stimulated 
by  their  example  and  encouragement,  have  con- 
structed roads  connecting  with  these.  By  the 
charters  of  bankrupt  railroads  which  they  have 
bought,  the  Plant  Investment  Company  is  entitled 
to  a  large  amount  of  lands  from  the  State,  10,000 
acres  to  the  mile,  in  most  cases,  as  well  as  later 
grants  on  their  newly  constructed  roads ;  but  the 
State  has  not  yet  the  lands  to  deed  to  them,  except 
to  a  small  amount,  though  eventually  it  may  have. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  125 

"  Mr.  Plant  is  a  man  of  fine  and  commanding  ap- 
pearance, dignified  and  quiet,  yet  genial  in  manners, 
and  of  the  most  genuine  modesty  and  gentleness  in 
his  intercourse  with  others.  No  judge  of  character 
could  fail  to  observe,  however,  that  he  is  a  man  of 
remarkable  executive  ability  and  sound  judgment, 
or  that  he  has  a  greater  amount  of  reserve  power 
than  most  business  men  possess.  His  associates, 
and  those  with  whom  he  is  brought  into  business 
relations,  all  speak  of  him  in  terms  of  the  highest 
admiration  and  esteem." 

The  City  Item  for  December  4,  1886,  says  : 
"  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant  is  a  very  admirable  type  of 
that  class  of  successful  men  of  enterprise  who  owe 
their  prosperity  to  broad  business  views,  large  public 
spirit,  and  commanding  integrity  of  character  joined 
to  solid  capacity.  Born  in  Branford,  Conn.,  his 
entrance  upon  active  life  was  in  connection  with 
transportation  on  the  New  Haven  steamboat  line, 
and  his  subsequent  career  has  been  identified  with 
similar  enterprises.  Ultimately  entering  the  service 
of  Adams  Express  Company,  he  was  instrumental  in 
extending  its  business  throughout  the  Southern 
States,  and  finally,  with  others,  purchased  its  lines, 
and  formed  the  Southern  Express  Company,  of 
which  he  became  president.  This  position  he  still 
holds,  having  by  his  energy  and  enterprise  greatly 
enlarged  and  extended  the  business  of  the  company. 


126  The  Life  of 

In  1853,  when  the  delightful  climate,  attractiveness 
and  fertility  of  Florida  were  as  yet  but  poorly  ap- 
preciated, Mr.  Plant  recognized  the  possibilities  which 
that  State  opened  up,  and  an  opportunity  being 
presented  for  the  extention  of  transportation  facili- 
ties by  the  sale  of  the  Savannah  and  Charleston  Rail- 
way, and  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Railway,  those 
properties  were  purchased  and  reconstructed  by 
him,  the  name  of  the  former  being  changed  to  the 
Charleston  and  Savannah,  and  the  latter  to  the  Savan- 
nah, Florida,  and  Western  Railway.  This  last  he 
extended  to  the  Chattahoochee  River,  to  Jacksonville 
and  Gainesville,  in  Florida.  Subsequently  he  con- 
structed the  road  between  Way  Cross,  Georgia,  and 
Jacksonville,  and  Live  Oak  and  Gainesville,  and 
also  placed  steamship  lines  on  the  Chattahoochee 
and  St.  John's  Rivers,  connecting  the  railroad  at 
Jacksonville  with  Sauford  on  Lake  Monroe,  and 
building  the  South  Florida  Railway  thence  to  Bar- 
tow and  Tampa,  establishing  steamboat  communica- 
tion to  the  Manatee  River  and  other  points  on  Tampa 
Bay.  More  recently  he  has  established  a  steamboat 
line  between  Tampa,  Key  West,  and  Havana.  This 
service  was  increased  on  the  1st  inst.  to  tri-weekly 
trips,  under  special  contract  with  the  Post-office 
Department.  By  this  route,  in  connection  with  the 
railroad  from  Tampa,  the  line  from  New  York  to 
Havana  is  only  three  days,  thus  enabling  the  inva- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  127 

lid  or  pleasure  seeker  of  the  metropolis  to  exchange 
the  rigors  of  our  winter  climate  for  the  delicious  tem- 
perature of  Cuba,  with  an  ease  and  under  conditions 
of  travel  which  must  make  this  line  increasingly 
popular  with  the  lapse  of  years.  The  Mascotte^  now 
running  on  this  route,  is  one  of  the  most  handsome 
and  complete  steamships  built,  its  appointments  being 
in  every  respect  really  luxurious,  while  in  point  of 
seaworthiness  it  is  everything  that  the  most  expert 
mechanism  could  make  it.  Its  staterooms  are  dainty 
boudoirs,  while  its  saloon  is  as  exquisitely  fitted  up 
as  any  drawing-room.  A  second  vessel,  now  building 
for  the  line,  will  be  equally  attractive  in  all  its  in- 
terior arrangements.  Mr.  Plant,  while  a  thorough 
man  of  business,  and  deeply  immersed  in  material 
pursuits,  has  never  lost  the  courtliness  of  manner 
and  genial  whole-heartedness  which  are  Nature's 
choicest  gifts  to  her  favorites ;  and  among  all  who 
know  him  he  ranks  as  the  loyal  friend  and  elegant 
gentleman." 

Railroad  Topics  says : 

"  In  this  day  of  vast  individual  fortunes,  it  is  no 
special  compliment  to  say  of  a  man  that  he  is  rich. 
If  the  public  takes  any  interest  in  his  wealth,  there 
is  generally  more  concern  manifested  in  the  manner 
in  which  he  made  his  money,  than  in  the  mere  fact 
that  he  has  it.  But  conspicuous  success  and  marked 
prominence  do,  and  will  always,  command  attention 


128  The  Life  of 

and  challenge  admiration.  The  spirit  of  the  Ameri- 
can  people  is  to  applaud  achievement  and  honor 
distinction  wherever  they  are  observed,  and  when 
found  combined  in  one  man,  they  make  him  a  pop- 
ular object  of  praise  and  an  interesting  subject  for 
biographical  sketch.  Such  a  case  we  have  in  the 
person  of  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant,  whose  record  we  at- 
tempt to  outline  in  the  following  brief  story : 

"  Mr.  Plant  was  born  at  Branford,  Conn.,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1819,  and  is  consequently  now  in  the  seventieth 
year  of  his  age.  It  is  indeed  a  pleasure  to  contem- 
plate the  record  of  a  man  who  has  fulfilled  the  sacred 
tradition  of  his  allotted  time,  and  stamped  that 
rounded  life  with  innumerable  evidences  of  steadily 
growing  strength,  constantly  increasing  usefulness, 
continually  widening  reputation,  and  vastly  expand- 
ing possessions.  The  personal  history  of  H.  B. 
Plant,  if  shorn  of  all  details,  would  stand  complete 
in  that  one  paragraph. 

"  He  has  thus  far  lived  to  excellent  purpose,  and 
in  the  run  of  that  existence  has  accomplished  in  full- 
est measure  all  that  is  comprehended  in  the  descrip- 
tive suggestion. 

"  If  we  wrote  not  another  line,  we  would  feel  that 
we  had  made  a  practical  analysis  of  his  life  and  set 
forth  the  salient  truths  of  it.  But  when  a  man  has 
attained  Mr.  Plant's  prominence,  and  compassed 
achievements  such  as  his,  people  are  interested  in 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  129 

the  details  of  Ms  career,  and  naturally  inquire  as  to 
his  distinguishing  characteristics.  In  deference  to 
that  reasonable  curiosity,  and  likewise  for  the  pleas- 
ure that  there  is  in  it  to  ourselves,  we  gladly  make 
this  sketch  of  him. 

"  It  is  nothing  remarkable  to  say  that  he  was  born 
poor.  Most  men  who  have  ever  amounted  to  much 
were.  Hence  in  that  particular  he  is  not  exceptional. 
Neither  would  we  be  satisfied  simply  to  class  him 
with  that  great  multitude,  popularly  termed,  "self 
made  men."  He  does  belong  in  that  catagory,  but  is 
so  far  above  the  average,  that  we  incline  to  think  of 
that  descriptive  fact  more  as  an  accident  than  as  a 
cardinal  virtue. 

"  The  first  account  we  have  of  him  is  only  a  meagre 
record  of  his  school  days.  He  never  went  to  college, 
but  had  to  content  his  ambitious  young  spirit  with 
a  good  academic  course,  supplemented  by  a  brief 
term  of  finishing  study  under  a  thoroughly  compe- 
tent tutor.  This,  however,  was  only  a  theoretical 
disadvantage,  from  the  fact  that  the  termination  of 
his  school  days  was  no  interruption  to  his  mental 
acquirements.  He  was  born  with  an  ambition  for 
knowledge,  and  does  not  to  this  day  feel  himself  too 
old,  or  too  wise,  to  learn. 

"  Mr.  Plant's  first  experience  in  business,  was  when, 
a  mere  boy,  he  secured  employment  on  one  of  that  line 
of  steamboats,  then  running  between  New  Haven 


130  The  Life  of 

and  New  York.  Although  very  young,  he  appreci- 
ated even  then  that  the  only  way  to  learn  any  busi- 
ness thoroughly  was  by  beginning  at  the  bottom. 
Accordingly  he  took  his  first  lessons  in  steamboat 
life  in  a  humble  position.  It  was  not  long,  how- 
ever, before,  by  faithfulness  and  efficiency,  he  lifted 
himself  into  higher  and  more  responsible  places.  That 
first  and  prompt  promotion  was  the  initial  sign 
of  what  his  life  would  be,  and  from  then  till  now, 
he  has  steadily  marched  onward  and  upward,  over- 
coming obstacles  and  mastering  difficulties  with 
heroic  energy,  and  winning  success  in  the  various 
lines  of  his  broadening  operations  with  positive 
brilliancy. 

"While  employed  by  the  New  York  and  New 
Haven  Steamboat  Company,  one  of  the  first  express 
lines  ever  established  in  this  country  was  inaugurated 
between  New  Haven  and  New  York,  and  the  en- 
terprise at  once  fascinated  young  Plant.  He  bent 
every  energy  toward  the  acquirement  of  a  small  in- 
terest in  the  new  express  company,  and  in  reasonable 
time  accomplished  his  purpose.  From  that  day  to 
this,  express  business  has  been  his  best  love  through- 
out the  wide  range  of  his  material  interests.  His 
first  important  connection  in  that  line  was  with  the 
Adams  Express  Company  about  1847.  In  that  cor- 
poration he  became  a  leading  spirit  and  holds  such 
position  to-day.     His  special  pet,  however,  among 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  131 

the  various  express  systems  with  which  he  is  iden- 
tified is  the  Southern  Express  Company  which  he 
established  in  1862.  This  child  of  his  wisdom  has 
grown  to  be  a  giant,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  richest, 
most  influential,  and  ably  managed  corporations  in 
this  country.  It  traverses  all  the  Southern  States, 
and  is,  for  all  practical  purposes,  permanently  estab- 
lished on  nearly  every  important  railroad  system  in 
the  South. 

"  Of  late  years  Mr.  Plant  has  been  giving  much 
of  his  attention  to  the  acquisition  of  railroad  prop- 
erties, and  in  admirable  continuance  of  his  previous 
record,  he  has  crowned  this  undertaking  with  splen- 
did success.  He  is  virtually  master  and  largely  own- 
er of  the  Savannah,  Florida,  and  Western  Railway, 
and  likewise  of  the  Charleston  and  Savannah  Rail- 
way. This  gives  him  a  direct  and  popular  line  from 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  to  Jacksonville,  Florida. 
He  has  also  made  various  branches  from  his  main 
line,  penetrating  the  principal  districts  of  Florida, 
and  by  this  wise  railroad  building  has  done  far  more 
than  can  be  computed  or  told,  toward  that  marvel- 
lous development  of  Florida  which  has  been  accom- 
plished within  the  last  ten  years.  Mr.  Plant  was 
truly  a  pioneer  in  this  praiseworthy  work,  and  there 
is  probably  no  man  who  deserves  more  than  he  does 
the  grateful  acknowledgements  of  the  Florida  peo- 
ple, as  well  as  the  hearty  gratitude  of  the  countless 


132  The  Life  of 

thousands  who  have  gone  from  all  other  sections  of 
the  country  to  enjoy  the  healing  benefits  of  that 
curative  climate,  and  the  sweet  restfulness  of  that 
floral  dreamland. 

"  The  Plant  Investment  Co.,  of  which  Mr.  H.  B. 
Plant  is  the  head,  and  in  which  he  has  associated 
with  him  several  sagacious  millionaires,  is  a  power- 
ful corporation  which  was  organized  for  co-operative 
investment  in  valuable  southern  railroad  properties 
and  advantageous  control  of  the  same.  This  com- 
pany is  managed  with  exceptional  ability,  and  by  its 
vast  acquisitions  and  extensions,  has  become  a  great 
power  in  the  railroad  world,  and  is  rapidly  accumu- 
lating for  its  stockholders  untold  wealth.  This  In- 
vestment Company  is  practically  controlled  by  Mr. 
Plant,  and  its  entire  policy  is  shaped  by  his  judgment. 
One  of  his  latest  enterprises,  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Investment  Company,  is  the  establishment  of  a 
fast  line  of  steamers  from  Tampa,  Florida,  to  Cuba. 
At  Tampa,  Mr.  Plant  has  extended  one  of  his  rail- 
roads out  to  deep  water,  and  thereby  made  it  an  ex- 
cellent port  for  even  heavy  draught  ships.  The 
whole  of  Florida  bears  the  impress  of  his  energy, 
enterprise,  and  wisdom. 

"  Mr.  Plant's  home  is  New  York  City,  where  he 
has  a  palatial  residence  on  Fifth  avenue,  and  luxuri- 
ous business  quarters  at  No.  12  West  23d  street. 
Whenever  a  man  amasses  a  fortune  he  naturally 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  133 

drifts  into  Wall  Street,  the  financial  centre  of 
America.  Mr.  Plant  is  a  conspicuous  exception  to 
this  rule.  He  rarely  treads  the  narrow  golden  street 
leading  from  Trinity  Church  to  East  River.  There 
is  no  speculative  element  in  his  nature.  He  is  con- 
servative to  the  last  degree,  and  works  on  no  plan 
that  is  not  founded  on  reason  and  justified  by  a  posi- 
tive trend  from  cause  to  effect.  He  has  all  the  vigor 
and  alertness  usually  to  be  found  in  a  man  of  fifty 
years  of  age.  He  is  keenly  alive  to  all  the  possibili- 
ties of  affairs  that  come  under  his  observation,  and 
quick  to  determine  any  question  that  is  presented  to 
him. 

"  He  is  a  thoughtful  man  and  extremely  reserved. 
It  is  necessary  to  know  him  well  to  appreciate  the 
excellent  fairness  of  his  mind,  and  the  kindness  of 
his  heart.  He  is  ostentatious  in  nothing,  but  under 
all  circumstances  conducts  himself  with  modest  dig- 
nity and  irresistible  reserve  force.  He  is  emphati- 
cally what  might  be  called  an  extractive  man.  That 
is,  he  has  an  inexplicable  faculty  for  drawing  any 
one  out,  without  ever  appearing  inquisitive,  or  lead- 
ing on  by  talking  much  himself.  If  he  has  one 
characteristic  stronger  than  all  others,  it  is  his  won- 
derful genius  for  keeping  his  own  counsel.  He 
never  lacks  cordiality  of  manner,  but  is  alwaj^s 
gracious  and  genial.  Another  forceful  point  of  his 
character,  is  that  inexhaustible  patience  which  has 


134  The  Life  of 

enabled  him  to  live  undisturbed  in  the  faith  that 
*all  things  come  to  him  who  knows  how  to  wait.' 

"He  thoroughly  systematizes  every  department 
of  his  life,  and  keeps  his  house  in  such  perfect  order 
that  if  he  should  shake  the  harness  off  and  quit 
work  to-morrow,  all  those  far-reaching  plans  which 
have  had  their  foundations  laid  under  his  wise  di- 
rection, would  by  his  faithful  followers  be  worked 
out  to  rounded  completeness  and  finished  perfection. 

"  And  thus  by  the  mighty  working  of  his  master 
brain  he  has  achieved  success,  won  renown,  accumu- 
lated an  immense  fortune,  done  great  good,  and  made 
for  himself  an  undisputed  place  among  the  leaders 
of  this  day.  And  besides  all  these  victories,  he  has 
set  on  foot  gigantic  plans  that  may  not  fully  mature 
for  many  years  to  come,  but  in  those  very  plans 
he  has  laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  great  monument  to 
his  worthy  memory,  and  those  who  come  after  him, 
if  faithful  to  their  trust,  will  build  on  as  wisely  as 
he  has  planned,  until  the  capstone  of  his  imperish- 
able memorial  is  fitted  in  its  place,  by  the  final 
accomplishment  of  each  and  every  purpose  of  his 
well-spent  life." 

Tlie  Home  Journal  says  : 

"  Henry  B.  Plant,  president  of  the  Plant  System 
of  hotels,  railways,  and  steamship  lines,  is  one  of  the 
men  of  to-day,  whose  work  will  influence  the  future. 
He  controls   twelve  different   railway  corporations 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  1-35 

with  a  mileage  of  1941,  and  5506  employees;  is 
president  of  the  Southern  and  the  Texas  Express 
Companies,  employing  6808  men;  president  of 
steamship  lines,  covering  the  coasts  of  the  Gulf,  go- 
ing to  Cuba  and  Jamaica,  and  skirting  the  coasts  of 
the  North,  running  to  Cape  Breton  and  the  maritime 
provinces ;  founder  of  the  most  palatial  winter  re- 
sort in  America,  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  and  owner 
of  five  other  beautiful  resorts  within  the  State.  To 
Mr.  Plant  may  be  accredited  the  development,  if  not 
the  real  discovery,  of  the  grand  West  or  Gulf  Coast 
of  Florida.  He  is  an  American,  and  is  seventy-seven 
years  old ;  a  man  of  tireless  energy,  wonderful  abil- 
ity, and  remarkable  industry.  His  career  is  marked 
by  honesty,  uprightness,  straightforwardness,  and 
business-like  dealings.  These  qualities,  together 
with  a  broad  intelligence  and  keen  perception,  have 
brought  him  success.  Withal,  he  is  modest  and 
unassuming,  and  has  no  pride  but  that  which  he 
takes  in  good  works." 

From  the  Ocala  Evening  Star,  June  22,  1896  : 
"  H.  B.  Plant,  the  railroad  king,  has  again  stepped 
into  our  midst  and  proposes  to  add  to  the  new  im- 
provements of  our  city  a  large  and  elegant  passenger 
depot. 

"  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  has  done  much 
already  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  the  beautiful 
perpetual  summer  land  of  flowers  and  sunshine,  he  is 


136  The  Life  of 

still,  at  the  present  time,  losing  no  opportunity  to 
add  to  the  beauty  and  upbuilding  of  the  State  of 
Florida. 

"If  every  railroad  running  into  our  State  would 
feel  as  much  interest  in  her  welfare  as  does  the  Plant 
System,  but  a  few  years  would  elapse  before  this 
section  w^ould  be  the  most  prosperous  in  the  Union. 

"Thousands  upon  thousands  of  dollars  are  spent 
every  year  by  the  officials  of  this  road  in  the  im- 
provement and  erection  of  property  within  our 
borders. 

"  H.  B.  Plant  is  indeed  a  friend  to  Florida,  and  if 
other  roads  would  spend  as  much  money  in  our  State 
as  he  does,  there  would  not  be  such  a  cry  for  free 
silver,  as  there  would  be  plenty  in  circulation,  and 
every  one,  from  laborer  to  governor,  would  have  his 
share. 

"  While  Mr.  Plant  is  somewhat  advanced  in  life, 
the  Star  hopes  that  his  years  may  yet  be  many  and 
his  love  for  the  sunny  peninsula  as  great  in  coming 
years  as  in  the  past." 

From  the  Home  Journal,  New  York,  March  11, 
1896: 

"  If,  comparatively  a  few  years  ago,  one  had  ven- 
tured the  prophecy  that  the  time  would  arrive  when 
we  could  leave  New  York  at  half-past  nine  one  morn- 
ing, and  wake  up  at  daylight  the  next  morning  in 
Charleston,   a  court    of    inquiry  would    have  been 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  137 

called  to  pass  upon  his  mental  condition.  Such, 
however,  are  the  facts  to-day. 

"  You  leave  Jersey  City  in  a  sleeper,  supplied  with 
all  of  the  latest  appointments  for  comfort ;  a  courte- 
ous conductor  takes  your  tickets,  with  which  you 
have  no  further  concern  until  you  reach  Charleston, 
when  they  are  handed  to  you  in  an  envelope.  What 
a  comfort  not  to  have  to  be  pulling  out  the  everlast- 
ing ticket  just  in  the  midst  of  conversation  or  while 
reading  an  interesting  magazine  article  ! 

"  If  the  cars  are  not  crowded,  you  feel  a  sort  of 
proprietary  right  to  roam  around  at  pleasure,  change 
your  seat  as  often  as  you  desire,  and  wash  your  face 
and  your  hands  whenever  they  need  it  in  the  cosy 
little  toilet-room.  What  a  change  from  the  old-fash- 
ioned water-cooler,  where  a  cupful  of  water  was  wont 
to  be  poured  over  a  pocket-handkerchief,  and  the 
face  and  hands  wiped  with  it,  leaving  arabesque 
designs  in  black  and  white  wherever  it  touched ! 

"  Then,  instead  of  rushing  to  a  railroad  eating- 
house  in  order  to  refresh  the  inner  man,  having  to 
put  up  with  'railroad  coffee,'  and  experiencing  a 
nervous  shock  every  time  a  whistle  blows,  your  meals 
are  taken  at  dainty  little  tables,  in  your  own  compart- 
ments, where  polite  and  efficient  waiters  do  your 
bidding. 

"  Instead  of  the  tiresome,  old-fashioned  trip  of  two 
days  and  a  night,  the  trip  now  is  twenty  hours. 


138  The  Life  of 

Verily  tbe  twin  powers  of  steam  and  electricity  have 
wrought  wonders  in  the  conditions  of  life. 

"  The  Plant  System,  to  which  the  Atlantic  Coast 
Line  is  *  a  feeder,'  has  emphatically  gridironed  the 
South.  To-day  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant  is  the  president 
of  a  railroad  system  that  embraces  twelve  different 
corporations,  and  whose  mileage  extends  to  1941, 
with  a  list  of  employees  numbering  5506.  He  is 
also  president  of  the  Plant  steamship  and  steamboat 
lines,  covering  the  coasts  of  the  Gulf,  Cuba,  and 
Jamaica,  and  skirting  the  coasts  of  the  North,  run- 
ning from  Boston  along  Nova  Scotia  to  Cape  Breton 
and  Prince  Edward  Island.  In  addition  to  these  in- 
terests, Mr.  Plant  is  president  of  the  Southern  and 
Texas  Express  companies,  which  do  a  business  as 
express  forwarders  ovei'  24,412  miles  of  railway,  and 
have  lines  in  fifteen  States,  employing  6808  men  and 
using:  1463  horses  and  886  wasjons.  Mr.  Plant  is 
seventy-six  years  of  age.  He  needs  no  eulogy  ;  his 
works  speak  for  him.  Although  of  Northern  birth, 
he  is  as  much  beloved  and  respected  at  the  South  as 
if  native-born. 

"  Thirty-six  years  ago,  President  Jefferson  Davis, 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  demonstrated  his  confi- 
dence in,  and  admiration  of  Henry  Bradley  Plant 
by  giving  him  a  pass  entitling  him  to  move  hither 
and  thither  at  will  through  army  headquarters,  or 
wherever  he  pleased,  in  the  interest  of  the  Adams 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  139 

Express  Company,  which  he  then  represented,  al- 
though Mr.  Plant  declared  that  he  did  not  sympa- 
thize with  the  political  movement  which  sought  to 
rend  the  States. 

"  The  Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  Port  Tampa  Inn,  and  the 
Seminole,  Winter  Park,  Florida,  are  monuments  of 
Mr.  Plant's  enterprise  and  a  portion  of  the  System. 
From  one  of  these  palatial  hotels  one  can  catch  a 
fish  on  the  back  porch  and  pluck  a  lemon  to  dress  it 
with  from  the  front  porch.  In  Charleston  the 
name  of  Henry  B.  Plant  is  a  synonym  for  success, 
and  a  name  which  many  a  young  man  mentions  with 
veneration,  as  one  to  which  he  owes  a  lasting  debt 
of  gratitude." 

The  May  number  of  the  Express  Gazette^  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  has  this  appreciative  paragraph  : 

"The  editor  of  the  Advertiser,  Key  West,  Florida, 
pays  the  following  eloquent  tribute  of  praise  to  Mr. 
H.  B.  Plant,  President  of  the  Plant  System  of  Rail- 
roads and  the  Southern  Express  Company : 

" '  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  the  president,  the  founder,  and 
the  controlling  spiiit  of  the  great  Plant  System,  is 
held  in  high  estimate  by  the  citizens  of  this  island. 
He  found  it,  years  ago,  isolated  and  remote  from  the 
great  centres  of  commerce,  and  his  partiality  to  us 
soon  changed  a  semi-occasional  connection  with  the 
mainland,  by  vessels  of  inferior  character,  into  a  tri- 
weekly   communication    by    the    finest    coastwise 


140  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

steamers  in  the  Southern  waters.  Brought  in  ready 
touch  with  the  marts  of  trade,  factories  sprang  into 
existence,  commerce  grew,  and  a  city  with  millions 
of  revenue  supplanted  a  fishing  hamlet.  Through 
his  enterprise  we  are  enabled  to  write  our  history  in 
a  line — a  village,  a  city,  a  metropolis — and  all  this 
in  a  decade. 

"  '  The  debt  of  gratitude  which  Key  West  owes  to 
Mr.  Plant  is  beyond  estimate.  Indeed,  so  accus- 
tomed are  we  to  the  conveniences  at  hand,  that  we 
are  prone  to  fail  in  appreciation  of  what  we  have, 
in  our  greed  for  more.  That  Mr.  Plant  has  been  and 
is  still  our  best  friend  cannot  be  questioned  in  the 
light  of  past  experience;  and  while  we  cordially 
welcome  and  hail  with  delight  the  coming  of  other 
transportation,  our  city  should  never  be  forgetful  of 
the  man  who  was  our  friend  when  we  had  no  other.' " 


CHAPTEH   XL 

Mr.  Plant's  Close  and  Constant  Contact  with  the  Great  System  as 
Seen  in  the  Following  Letters — Letter  Written  on  Board  the 
Steamer  ComaZ— Letters  on  Trip  to  Jamaica,  West  Indies,  March 
15, 1893,  and  Published  in  the  Hovie  journal. 

MR.  PLANT  keeps  himself  constantly  informed  of 
the  workings  of  the  whole  System  over  which 
he  presides,  by  daily  communication  with  every  part 
of  it.  The  head  of  each  department  writes  to  the 
president  every  day,  or  telegraphs,  or  does  both  if 
necessary,  and  in  return,  Mr.  Plant,  through  his  sec- 
retary, replies  daily  to  each  communication  received. 
So  close  does  he  keep  to  the  workings  of  the  System 
that  wherever  he  travels  in  the  country  his  mail  is 
regularly  delivered  to  him  at  points  arranged  for  the 
purpose,  and  it  is  as  promptly  answered  from  his 
private  car  as  if  he  were  at  his  own  office  in  New 
York  City.  Nor  are  all  these  letters  which  pass  be- 
tween the  president  and  his  associates  about  hard 
business ;  they  are  often  social,  familiar  greetings,  and 
interchanges  of  friendly  intercourse.  The  following 
extract  from  a  letter,  written  by  Mr.  Plant  when  trav- 
eling to  Galveston,  Texas,  is  an  illustration  of  this : 


142  The  Life  of 

NOTES   OF   THE   VOYAGE. 

"  Left  wharf  on  Steamer  Comal,  Saturday,  July 
22,  1893,  4  P.M.,  wind  southwest.  Passed  Sandy 
Hook  about  5.30,  found  sea  smooth  ;  well  off  the 
coast,  shore  houses  vaguely  seen  in  the  distance. 

"  Sunday,  2Sd. — Had  a  still  and  comfortable  moon- 
light night ;  smooth  seas ;  wind  southwest ;  off  Cape 
Charles,  twelve  o'clock.  About  one  o'clock  wind  all 
died  away.  The  sea  perfectly  smooth  until  2.30,  when 
a  light  breeze  came  in  from  the  southeast,  which  lasted 
until  sunset,  then  died  away  and  came  out  again  from 
the  west  about  six  o'clock.  Passed  Body  Island 
Light  with  light  breeze.     No  sea. 

"8.10  P.M. — Hatteras  Light  fairly  abreast — ten  sail- 
ing vessels  and  one  steamer  in  sight.  Weather  be- 
ing fine,  captain  concluded  to  cross  the  Gulf  Stream 
and  run  down  on  the  east  side  and  along  the  Ba- 
hama Banks.  We  have  now  been  out  twenty-eight 
hours,  and  I  have  felt  very  well.  No  annoyance 
from  the  stomach  so  far  in  any  particular. 

"12  dcloch  noon,  Monday,  2Uh. — We  are  bowling 
along  in  the  Gulf  Stream  with  a  good  breeze  from 
the  west — smooth  sea.  Had  a  fairly  good  sleep. 
Room  being  on  the  port  side  and  the  wind  from  the 
west  made  it  rather  warm.  At  noon  to-day  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water  is  eighty  degrees  and  the  air  is 
eighty- two  degrees,  which  is  not  so  bad  as  might  be. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  143 

We  are  now  well  off  Charleston  and  about  abreast 
of  the  Bermudas. 

"  Tuesday,  ^bth. — The  wind  continued  from  the 
west  until  about  four  o'clock,  when  it  ceased,  and 
from  that  until  nine  we  had  a  dead  calm  and  a  smooth 
glassy  sea.  Now  at  ten  o'clock  a  light  breeze  comes 
in  from  the  east,  and  we  have  prospect  of  a  comfort- 
able day. 

"  Yesterday  p.m.  we  had  crossed  and  were  entirely 
cast  of  the  Gulf  Stream  and  there  was  no  wind,  of 
course,  in  still  water.  While  in  the  Stream  we  had 
a  current  of  about  three  knots  against  us.  Our  course 
is  now  bringing  us  again  near  the  stream,  which  we 
shall  cross  in  the  course  of  the  day  and  will  probably 
pass  Jupiter  before  bedtime,  say,  nine  o'clock.  We 
are  having  a  delightful  voyage  so  far,  and  I  seem  to 
be  doing  quite  well. 

"  P.M. — The  southwest  wind  has  died  out  and  we 
have  a  gentle  breeze  from  the  east ;  this  gives  promise 
of  the  northeast  trades  for  to-night,  which  will  be 
quite  acceptable  and  will  put  me  on  the  windward 
side  of  the  ship ;  have  been  on  the  lee  side  so 
far. 

"  5  P.M. — Have  not  seen  a  sail  to-day,  and  am  hav- 
ing a  very  restful  time. 

"  9.30  P.M. — Have  been  with  the  captain  since  din- 
ner, and  for  the  last  half  hour  on  the  lookout  for 
Jupiter  Light.     The  lead  informs  us  that  we  are  too 


144  The  Life  of 

far  off  the  coast  to  enable  us  to  see  the  Light  just 
yet. 

"  9.50  P.M. — Now  we  just  have  a  glimpse  of  the 
Light  from  the  bridge,  and  as  '  All 's  well,'  I  will  to 
my  couch  for  the  night.  The  winds  are  favoring 
those  on  the  port  side,  having  swung  around  to  the 
northeast,  giving  a  promise  of  the  southeast  trades  for 
to-morrow ;  so  good-night. 

"■  Wednesday  a.m. — Had  a  splendid  shower  this  a.m. 
just  after  daylight,  and  right  after  the  northeast  wind 
died  out  and  was  soon  followed  by  the  good  south- 
east trade,  and  now  (10.80)  we  are  sailing  along  just 
outside  the  reefs,  having  passed  Cape  Florida  early 
this  A.M.  During  the  night  we  have  passed  Palm 
Beach  (Lake  Worth). 

"  10.30  A.M. — We  are  now  directly  abreast  of  Carys- 
fort  Light,  and  a  more  pleasant  day  to  be  at  sea  could 
not  be  desired.  While  at  breakfast  we  passed  near 
the  wreck  of  the  English  steamer  JSarl  King.  She 
went  on  the  reef  about  a  year  and  a  half  ago  ;  noth- 
ing now  in  sight  but  a  portion  of  what  looks  to  be 
the  bow — a  good  beacon  to  warn  others  from  this 
dangerous  reef.  She  is  reported  to  have  been  an 
old  ship  loaded  with  cement  and  other  cheap  freight, 
bound  for  New  Orleans,  and  well  insured. 

"  The  indications  are  that  we  shall  arrive  at  Key 
West  about  seven  o'clock  this  p.m.  and  in  time  to 
meet  the  Mascotte  on  her  return  from  Havana.     As 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  145 

we  have  but  a  small  freight  for  Key  West,  we  shall 
not  be  loDg  detained  there,  and  shall  expect  to  arrive 
in  Galveston  early  Saturday  night.  Temperature 
of  air  at  one  o'clock  81|-  degrees;  water  83  degrees. 

"  Wednesday  p.m — Passed  Aligator  Light  one 
o'clock  ;  this  will  bring  us  to  Key  West  about  eight 
o'clock,  and  enable  me  to  place  this  on  Mascotte 
without  much  to  spare,  and  pi'obably  place  us  ashore 
at  Galveston  Sunday  morning,  and  as  you  may  not 
be  in  Darien  Sunday,  you  will  only  receive  the  mes- 
sage at  office  on  Monday  a.m.  Send  to  Mrs.  Plant 
at  Branford  on  ari-ival,  so  she  may  receive  the  infor- 
mation same  day.  Would  like  to  have  you  make  at 
least  a  synopsis  of  the  daily  notes  to  Mr.  O'B.,  that 
you  may  send  to  him  should  he  be  absent.  We  are 
now  well  up  with  American  Shoal  Light ;  next  we 
shall  have  Sombrero,  and  then  Sand  Key  and  Key 
West.  We  are  likely  to  fall  in  with  the  Mas- 
cotte. 

"  We  are  jogging  along  very  pleasantly  with  wind 
well  on  the  port  quarter  and  temperature  quite  com- 
fortable." 

The  following  letter  from  Mr.  Plant,  published  in 
the  Home  Journal,  New  York,  March  15,  1893, 
speaks  for  itself.  It  shows  its  author  to  be  at  home 
on  shipboard,  and  as  much  at  his  ease  as  in  his  own 
parlor ;  while  carefully  noting  all  points  of  interest 
and  enjoying  to  the  full  all  that  was  enjoyable. 


146  The  Life  of 

On  Board  S.  S.  "Halifax," 
Sunday,  Feb.  26,  '93. 

"  We  sailed  from  Port  Tampa  on  Thursday,  Febi-u- 
ary  16th,  and  after  a  delightfully  smooth  and  pleasant 
trip  arrived  at  Nassau,  N.  P.,  on  Saturday  morning. 
A  number  of  our  party  were  entertained  by  the 
Honorable  Sir  Ambrose  Shea,  governor  of  the  isl- 
and ;  others  of  us  preferred  to  pass  the  few  hours 
in  riding  and  driving,  seeing  something  of  the 
beauties  of  the  place.  AVe  returned  to  the  steamer 
in  the  afternoon  and  got  under  way,  passing  out  of 
the  harbor  through  the  "  Hole  in  the  Wall,"  as  it  is 
called.  We  steamed  down  over  the  banks,  passing 
along  the  eastern  shore  of  the  island,  and  leaving 
Cape  Mayce  on  our  starboard,  until  away  over  to 
port  were  seen  the  highlands  of  Hayti. 

"  All  the  way  from  Port  Tampa  to  Jamaica,  the 
weather  was  simply  delightful,  and  the  sea  as  smooth 
as  the  waters  of  our  Seneca  Lake.  We  arrived  at 
the  wharf  at  Kingston  at  seven  o'clock  Tuesday 
morning.  Our  excursionists  all  went  to  the  Myrtle 
Bank  Hotel,  where  choice  accommodations  were 
provided.  We  received  a  call  from  the  Consul-Gen- 
eral  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Dent,  and  also  visits 
from  other  important  people  of  the  city  of  Kingston. 
In  the  afternoon  we  received  an  invitation,  conveyed 
to  the  party  through  our  conductor,  Mr.  A.  E.  Dick, 
a  hotel  man  well  known  in  New  York,  to  attend  a 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  147 

garden  party  given  by  Lady  Blake  at  King's  House. 
Lady  Blake  is  the  wife  of  Sir  Henry  Blake,  the 
governor  of  the  island.  We  found  a  large  crowd  of 
people,  a  gracious  welcome,  exquisite  music  and 
bountiful  refreshment.  Only  think  of  it — an  out-of- 
door  reception  on  the  twenty-first  day  of  February  ! 

"  In  the  evening  we  were  surprised  to  learn  that  a 
grand  ball  would  be  given  in  our  honor  by  the  citi- 
zens of  Kingston.  It  proved  a  very  brilliant  affair. 
The  beautiful  costumes  of  the  ladies  formed  a  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  military  costumes  of  the  officers 
of  the  British  West  Indian  Squadron;  there  were 
eight  ships  in  the  harbor. 

"  We  were  called  very  early  in  the  morning,  coffee 
and  fruit  being  served  in  our  rooms,  and  took  car- 
riages to  the  Western  Railway  station,  whence  we 
started  by  rail  for  Bog  Walk,  on  the  Eio  Cobre 
River.  We  arrived  at  half-past  ten.  After  leaving 
the  train  our  attention  was  called  to  a  group  of 
negro  men  and  women  who  were  engaged  in  load- 
ing bananas  into  a  car  for  transportation  to  the  city 
of  Kingston  and  thence  to  the  United  States. 

"At  Rio  Cobre,  we  enjoyed  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful drives  that  your  correspondent  has  ever  experi- 
enced, down  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Cobre,  a  most 
beautiful  sheet  of  water,  and  after  a  ride  of  two 
hours,  reaching  Spanish  Town,  one  of  the  principal 
cities  on  the  island  of  Jamaica.     It  was  at  Spanish 


148  The  Life  of 

Town  that  a  son  of  Christopher  Columbus  settled 
when  he  came  to  the  island  of  Jamaica.  We  were 
entertained  by  the  proprietor  of  the  Rio  Cobre 
Hotel,  where  we  remained  until  the  afternoon,  when 
we  again  took  train  for  our  headquarters  at  Myrtle 
Bank,  in  Kingston. 

"Early  the  following  morning  we  were  called, 
fruit  and  coffee  were  again  served  in  our  rooms,  and 
we  started  at  six  o'clock  for  a  drive  of  twenty-five 
miles  over  and  across  the  beautiful  mountain  ranges 
and  towards  the  north  coast  of  the  island.  At  ten 
o'clock  we  arrived  at  the  Castleton  Gardens,  a  beau- 
tiful spot  owned  and  sustained  by  the  government 
as  a  garden  of  acclimation.  Here  are  found  the 
grandest  of  all  tropical  palms.  At  the  hotel  con- 
nected with  the  gardens  we  partook  of  a  royal 
breakfast,  into  which  entered  many  different  kinds 
of  fruit.  After  a  stop  of  two  hours  we  resumed  our 
journey  over  the  mountains,  and  in  the  distance  we 
obtained  a  good  view  of  the  lovely  Annotta  bay. 

"  En  route,  we  visited  a  sugar  estate  where  we 
saw  the  conversion  of  sugar-cane  into  Jamaica  rum 
of  the  first  quality.  Most  of  the  labor  is  performed 
by  Malays,  brought  from  the  valley  of  the  Gauges 
in  India,  who  while  here  are  compelled  to  labor  in 
competition  with  the  negroes.  The  men  are  paid  at 
the  rate  of  one  shilling  and  six  pence  per  day,  w^hile 
the  women  receive  only  one  shilling  per  day.     I  can 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  149 

assure  you,  from  the  manner  in  which  they  work, 
it  is  evident  that  they  earned  every  penny  they 
received.  By  the  way,  the  coachman  who  drove 
us,  informed  me  that  his  wages  were  ten  shillings 
per  week  of  seven  days'  continuous  work  and  he 
has  to  board  himself  out  of  that  pittance. 

"  On  the  afternoon  of  this  day,  Friday,  we  were 
well  off  the  coast  of  Jamaica,  homeward  bound. 
Now  as  I  write,  Sunday  morning,  we  are  approach- 
ing Egmont  Key,  which  is  situated  at  the  entrance 
of  Tampa  Bay.  Soon  we  shall  be  docked,  and  soon 
thereafter  at  that  haven  which  has  been  so  often 
described  but  to  which  no  writer  to  my  mind  has 
done  justice — the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  GREAT  PLANT  SYSTEM  WORTHY 
OF  ADMIRATION  AND  IMITATION. 

THERE  is  perhaps  no  greater  source  of  waste  in 
our  country  than  that  of  labor  strikes,  which 
have  become  of  frequent  occurrence  during  the  last 
two  decades.  There  is  great  waste  of  material  from 
the  destructive  violence  of  infuriated  mobs.  In 
1877,  the  great  railway  strikes  of  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad,  and  the  Pennsylvania  and  Erie  Sys- 
tems, resulted  in  the  destruction  of  sixteen  hundred 
cars,  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  locomotives,  and 
five  million  dollars  worth  of  property.  A  report 
made  in  1895  by  the  United  States  Commissioner  of 
Labor  (covering  a  period  of  twelve  years  and  six 
months,  that  is,  from  January  1,  1881,  to  June  30, 
1894)  on  strikes  in  the  United  States,  gives  the  fol- 
lowing suggestive  statistics.  We  read  that  the 
number  of  strikes  was  14,390,  affecting  69,167  estab- 
lishments. The  number  of  employees  thrown  out  of 
work  was  3,714,406.  Loss  of  wages  during  this 
period  to  the  striking  workmen  amounted  to  $163,- 

150 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  151 

807,866.  From  lockouts  the  loss  was  $26,685,516. 
The  losses  to  employers  from  the  same  cause  were, 
from  strikes  $82,590,386,  and  from  lockouts  $12,- 
235,451.  The  losses  to  employees  and  employers 
amount  to  the  enormous  sum  of  $285,319,219.  And 
this  is  only  a  part  of  the  losses,  for  it  does  not  take 
into  account  the  cost  of  police,  detectives,  and  sol- 
diers, required  to  protect  persons  and  property.  In 
one  strike  eight  thousand  of  the  latter  force  alone 
were  needed  to  subdue  riots,  and  save  life  and  prop- 
erty. What  estimate  can  be  made  of  the  damage  to 
commerce,  the  disorganization  of  labor,  the  de- 
moralization of  the  laborers,  the  families  broken  up 
and  scattered,  the  hate  and  bitterness  engendered  ? 
The  corporation,  therefore,  that  can  co-operate  peace- 
fully with  its  working  force  adds  much  wealth  and 
moral  progress  to  the  nation,  as  well  as  legitimate 
profits  to  its  own  treasury,  and  comfort,  well-being, 
and  happiness  to  its  employees.  There  is  mutual 
advantage  on  both  sides,  and  far  reaching  and  bene- 
ficial influence  on  all  sides.  There  must  be  justice 
and  consideration  for  the  workman  from  the  employer, 
and  there  must  always  be  justice  and  appreciation 
from  the  workman  to  the  man  who  gives  him  work, — 
mutual  interest,  benefit,  and  advantage.  It  is  greatly 
to  the  credit  of  the  Plant  System,  that  the  public 
has  never  suffered  inconvenience  in  travel  from 
strikes  among  its  large  working  force,  that  the  men 


152  The  Life  of 

have  not  suffered  in  person  or  estate,  and  that  the 
company  has  been  saved  losses  and  crosses  from  this 
hydra-headed  monster,  "Conflict  between  labor  and 
capital."  That  these  evils  have  been  avoided,  is  due 
to  the  head  of  this  great  System,  due  to  his  sense  of 
justice,  to  his  personal  knowledge  of,  and  friendly 
interest  in  such  a  large  number  of  the  employees,  and 
to  a  large-hearted  consideration  for  the  weaknesses 
of  human  nature.  Mr.  Plant  was  one  day  riding  in 
a  baggage  car,  w^hen  he  saw  an  expressman  turn 
wrong  side  up  a  box  that  had  been  marked  "  Glass." 
He  called  attention  to  the  fact.  "  That  box,"  said 
he  to  the  man,  "  is  marked  '  Glass '  and  should  be 
kept  '  glass '  side  up  as  marked."  "  Oh  I  know  it  is 
marked  'Glass,'  but  I  never  pay  any  attention  to 
that,"  said  the  expressman.  Mr.  Plant  said  no  more. 
When  the  man  and  the  superintendent  of  the  express 
office  were  alone  together,  the  superintendent  said 
to  the  man,  "  Do  you  know  who  that  gentleman 
was  who  spoke  to  you  about  the  box  marked 
i  Glass  '  ? "— "  No."—"  Well,  that  was  Mi'.  Plant,  the 
president  of  the  express  company." — "  Oh  my !  that 
means  my  dismissal  sure." — "  Yes,  I  think  it  does ; 
I  shall  have  to  dismiss  you " ;  and  he  said,  later, 
to  Mr.  Plant,  "  I  shall  dismiss  that  man  of  course." 
"  No,"  said  the  president.  "  Don't  discharge  him ; 
call  him  to  your  office  and  impress  it  upon  him  that 
that  is  not  the  way  this  company  does  its  business, 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  153 

and  be  won't  forget  it."  The  man  has  been  long  a 
faithful  and  efficient  employee  of  the  company.  Mr. 
Plant's  name  does  not  figure  as  often  as  do  some 
others  in  lists  of  large  donations  to  churches  and 
charities  of  deserving  character,  though  they  have 
not  been  passed  by  without  recognition,  and  kind 
and  generous  treatment  of  the  deserving  men  in  his 
employ  have  never  been  wanting.  While  travelling 
with  Mr.  Plant  to  Atlanta,  one  of  the  heads  of  a  de- 
partment reported  to  him  that  an  old  gentleman 
who  held  an  honored  and  important  position  in  the 
System  was  greatly  broken  down  with  nervous  pros- 
tration. "  Send  him  to  his  home  to  remain  until  he 
is  well,  and  remit  his  salary  all  the  same."  It  was 
remarked  by  a  bystander  that  he  thought  that  that 
was  very  kind  of  the  president.  "  Oh,"  was  the 
answer,  "  that  is  only  a  regular  occurrence  to  those 
of  us  who  have  been  with  President  Plant  as  long 
as  I  have." 

Those  who  have  read  the  blood  curdling  accounts 
of  some  of  the  strikes  that  have  occurred  within 
the  past  ten  years,  and  have  experienced  some 
of  the  inconveniences  and  dangers  resulting  from 
them,  will  contrast  such  accounts  with  what  was 
seen  on  "  Plant  Day  "  at  the  Atlanta  Exposition, 
and  on  all  other  days  throughout  the  South  as  well, 
and  will  feel  that  the  account  of  that  day  was  worthy 
of  a  place  in  the  record  of  the  noble  life  we  are 


154  The  Life  of 

endeavoring  to  preserve  as  an  example  to  public  men 
and  as  a  lesson  and  inspiration  for  coming  genera- 
tions. We  let  the  associates  and  employees  of  the 
Plant  System  tell  their  own  story.  It  was  printed 
in  a  beautiful  pamphlet  as  a  souvenir  of  the  day, 
and  was  specially  designed  for  those  whose  devotion 
to  duty  prevented  them  from  sharing,  in  person,  the 
pleasures  of  that  memorable  day.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  paragraphs  of  biographical  matter  con- 
tained in  other  sections  of  the  volume,  or  merely  of 
temporary  interest,  the  account  is  published  in  full 
in  a  later  chapter. 

It  is  as  creditable  to  the  men  who  have  stood 
around  their  president  most  faithfully  in  his  ai'duous 
labors,  as  it  is  honorable  to  him  who  has  led  them 
on  to  noble  achievement,  and  deserved  success.  Mr. 
Plant's  methods  of  management  are  worthy  of  high- 
est commendation,  and  would  repay  careful  study  in 
like  conditions.  If  any  man  were  to  discover  a  plan 
for  extinguishing  fire  that  would  to  save  the  country 
$285,390,219,  in  the  course  of  a  dozen  years,  the 
insurance  companies  would  purchase  his  patent  for 
a  large  sum  of  money,  and  the  country  would  raise 
monuments  to  his  honor.  Mr.  Plant's  method  is 
even  better;  it  is  on  the  philosophical  principle  of 
prevention.  It  prevents  the  kindling  of  the  flames, 
and  while  it  may  not  be  absolutely  fire-proof,  it  has 
stood  a  long  and  severe  test.     We  honor  him  and 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  155 

his  loyal  associates  and  employees  for  the  more  than 
peaceful  course  they  have  left  on  record.  We  say 
"  more  than  peaceful "  for  it  has  been  a  course  of  mu- 
tual concessions,  personal  interest,  and  friendly  asso- 
ciation, as  the  following  chapters  will  show.  Nor  is 
the  view  taken  in  these  chapters  narrowed  to  special 
and  individual  cases.  It  is  as  broad  as  the  South 
linked  to  the  North,  and  covers  the  whole  United 
States ;  for  no  part  of  our  country  can  be  advanced 
without  every  other  part  sharing  in  the  uj)lift. 

It  would  not  be  surprising  if  the  best  part  of  Mr. 
Plant's  work  should  fail  to  be  recognized.  People 
see  the  material  progress  of  a  State,  the  things  that 
can  be  measured,  weighed,  and  valued  at  a  price ; 
the  subtle  forces  that  produce  the  material  are 
often  overlooked.  The  intellectual,  moral,  patriotic, 
and  philanthropic  spirit  that  moves  the  man  and 
diffuses  itself  throughout  the  State  or  nation  is  not 
the  first  thing  that  arrests  attention.  Yet  this  un- 
recognized force  is  the  great  uplifting  power  of  a 
peoj)le  in  all  that  is  best  and  noblest  in  their  onward 
march  of  progress.  It  is  now  an  axiom  that  the 
North  and  South  did  not  know  and  understand  each 
other  previous  to  the  late  war;  that  if  they  had 
understood  each  other,  a  war  such  as  the  revolt  of 
the  Southern  States  would  never  have  occurred, 
would,  in  fact,  have  been  impossible.  The  facilities 
afforded  for  travel  and  the  superior  hotel  accommoda- 


156  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

tions  whicli  have  been  provided  by,  and  have  resulted 
from,  the  Plant  System,  have  brought  North  and 
South  together  in  mutual  interest  and  friendly  ac- 
cord to  such  an  extent  that  a  war  can  never  again 
take  place,  for  these  two  sections  of  our  country  are 
so  interlaced,  interdependent,  and  identified  in  inter- 
est, and  withal  in  such  friendly  association,  that  the 
misunderstandings  of  the  past  can  never  again  arise. 
It  is  a  fact  of  history,  that  in  proportion  as  nations, 
races,  and  religions  come  closer  to  each  other,  the 
causes  of  conflict  are,  to  the  same  degree,  lessened. 
A  homely  illustration  of  this  fact  is  contained  in  the 
story  of  the  Irishman  who  was  walking  along  the 
Strand  in  London  one  morning,  when  through  the 
fog  he  discovered  a  monster  from  which,  at  first,  he 
was  going  to  run  away  ;  then,  grasping  his  shillelah, 
he  came  close  up  to  the  monster  intending  to  kill  the 
"  baste,"  when  "  lo  and  behold,"  said  Pat,  "  it  was 
me  brother  John  ! "  So  it  often  comes  to  pass  that 
the  monster  in  the  distance  to  be  annihilated,  in  closer 
proximity  is  a  brother  to  be  loved. 


CHAPTER  XIIL 

Plant  Day  at  the  Cotton  States  and  International  Exposition  of  1895 
at  Atlanta,  Georgia — Preparations  for  its  Celebration — Impres- 
sive Observance  of  Mr.  Plant's  Birthday  at  the  Aragon  Hotel — 
Mr.  Plant's  Remarks  in  Acknowledging  Presentation  of  Gifts. 

THE  Atlanta  Cotton  States  and  International  Ex- 
position was  created  through  the  zeal  and  en- 
terprise of  a  number  of  the  patriotic  citizens  of  the 
city  of  Atlanta  and  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  and,  on 
the  18th  day  of  September,  1895,  when  its  doors 
were  opened  to  the  world,  naught  but  words  of  ad- 
miration and  praise  could  be  spoken  for  the  men, 
who,  through  the  devotion  of  their  energies,  time 
and  money,  had  made  it  in  every  way  a  success. 

There  are  already  extant  records  of  the  speeches 
of  the  prominent  men  who,  from  the  Auditorium 
platform  in  the  Exposition  grounds,  addressed  the 
public  on  that  day  and  proclaimed  to  the  world  the 
reasons  which  actuated  the  creation  of  this  Exposi- 
tion, not  only  for  the  advancement  of  the  mercantile 
interests  of  the  southern  section  of  the  country,  but 
as  well  for  the  education  of  its  people. 

While  it  is,    therefore,  futile  to  reproduce  here 

157 


158  The  Life  of 

the  history  of  the  Exposition,  it  might  be  well  to 
say  that  as  far  back  as  Decembei",  1 894,  Mr.  H.  B. 
Plant  was  called  upon  by  a  committee  of  gentlemen 
representing  the  Cotton  States  and  International  Ex- 
position Company  and  urged  to  make  an  exhibit  at 
the  Exposition.  In  recognition  of  his  acquiescence, 
and  the  erection  of  a  building  by  the  Plant  System 
of  Railways  and  Steamship  Lines,  in  which  was 
placed  a  most  creditable  exhibit  from  the  sections  of 
South  Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Florida  trav- 
ersed by  the  Plant  System  of  Railways,  the  Exposi- 
tion Company  determined  that  a  day  should  be  set 
apart,  to  be  known  as  "  Plant  System  Day,"  and  as 
the  founder  and  president  of  the  System,  Mr.  Henry 
B.  Plant,  was  to  celebrate  the  seventy-sixth  anniver- 
sary of  his  birth  on  October  27, 1895,  it  was  decided 
that  in  his  honor  the  two  events  should  be  commem- 
orated as  a  unit.  This  plan  was  impracticable,  as 
the  27th  fell  on  Sunday,  but  that  the  celebration 
should  be  as  closely  connected  as  possible,  the  day 
following,  October  28th,  was  named  by  the  Com- 
mittee and  announced  to  the  public  as  "  Plant  Sys- 
tem Day  "at  the  Cotton  States  and  International 
Exposition. 

From  the  time  of  this  announcement  until  the 
day  of  the  festivities,  preparations  were  made  to 
make  the  occasion  in  all  ways  enjoyable.  Mr.  Plant, 
accompanied  by  his  family,  arrived  in  Atlanta  on 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  159 

Saturday,  and  on  the  succeeding  morning,  the 
seventy-sixth  anniversary  of  his  birth,  was  greeted 
by  the  following  article,  written  by  Mr.  Clark 
Howell,  and  published  in  the  Constitution.  It 
served  as  an  index  to  a  time  replete  with  pleasure, 
and  as  a  welcome  to  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  President,  and 
to  the  Plant  System  in  Atlanta,  Georgia,  October 
27  and  28,  1895. 

From  the  Atlanta  Constitution^  October  27,  1895. 

"  No  more  important  day  will  be  celebrated  dur- 
ing the  present  Cotton  States  and  International  Ex- 
position than  to-morrow,  w^hich  has  been  set  aside  in 
honor  of  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant,  the  head  of  the  great 
Plant  railway  and  steamship  lines.  The  impor- 
tance of  the  day  will  spring  not  only  from  the  suc- 
cessful life  of  which  Mr.  Plant  is  an  example,  but 
from  the  fact  that  above  any  other  man  living  he 
represents  the  great  industrial  revolution  which  has 
come  over  the  face  of  the  Southern  States,  and 
which  marks  the  success  of  free  over  slave  labor. 


"To-day  Mr.  Plant  might  be  called  an  interna- 
tional developer.  Of  this,  however,  the  story  of  his 
life  will  be  the  best  witness.  To-morrow  he  will 
have  completed  his  seventy-sixth  year,  forty-one  of 
which  have  been  spent  in  the  South,  during  which 


160  The  Life  of 

time  the  twin  powers  of  steam  and  electricity  have 
wrought  wonders  in  the  conditions  of  life.  To- 
day he  is  the  president  of  a  railway  system  which 
embraces  twelve  different  corporations,  and  whose 
mileage  extends  to  1941,  with  a  list  of  employees 
numbering  5506.  He  is  also  president  of  the  Plant 
steamship  and  steamboat  lines,  the  one  covering  the 
coasts  of  the  Gulf  and  going  to  Cuba  and  Jamaica, 
the  other  skirting  the  coasts  of  the  North,  running 
from  Boston  and  along  Nova  Scotia  to  Cape  Breton 
and  the  maritime  provinces  of  Canada.  In  addition 
to  these  interests,  he  is  still  president  of  the  South- 
ern and  the  Texas  Express  Companies,  which  do  a 
business  as  express  forwarders  over  24,412  miles  of 
railway ;  have  lines  in  fifteen  States,  employing 
6,808  men,  and  using  1,463  horses  and  886  wagons. 
As  a  complement  to  the  handling  of  railroads,  and 
the  sailing  of  ships,  and  the  expressing  of  freightage, 
Mr.  Plant  has  erected  four  winter  resort  hotels  in 
Florida,  one  of  which,  the  great  Tampa  Bay  Hotel, 
is  probably  the  largest  winter  resort  hotel  of  its  kind 
on  the  continent.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  this 
great  man,  who  is  to  be  the  toast  at  the  Exposition 
to-morrow,  does  service  under  three  flags,  those  of 
America,  England,  and  Spain. 

"  Such  developments  as  these  are  enough  to  make 
his  life  history  of  interest  to  the  old  and  of  profit  to 
the  young,  as  showing  the  vast  possibilities  which 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  161 

our  country  affords,  and  the  immense  rewards  which 
come  to  industry,  tact,  and  intelligence. 


"  The  coming  of  Mr.  Plant  to  the  Southern  States 
really  marked  the  opening  of  Florida  to  the  people 
of  this  country  as  a  winter  resort.  It  was  in  1853, 
the  year  of  Mr.  Plant's  arrival,  that  he  visited  Florida 
for  the  sake  of  his  invalid  wife,  when  access  could 
only  be  had  by  steamboat,  by  the  St.  John's  River. 
The  mild  climate  of  that  State  prolonged  Mrs.  Plant's 
life  for  years.  He  saw  the  necessity  of  railroads  in 
the  State,  and  it  was  in  this  way  that  he  began  buy- 
ing stock  in  various  Florida  and  Georgia  railroads, 
though  he  did  not  engage  in  any  railroad  enterprise 
as  a  manager  until  1879.  In  that  year  Mr.  Plant 
purchased  the  Atlantic  and  Gulf  Railroad  of  Geor- 
gia, and  subsequently  reorganized  the  company  as 
the  Savannah,  Florida,  and  Western  Railway,  of 
which  he  is  still  the  head.  The  Savannah  and 
Charleston  Railway  was  next  purchased  in  1880, 
and  the  story  of  the  completion  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem— now  extending  to  Charleston  on  the  one  side, 
to  Montgomery,  Alabama,  on  the  other,  covering 
Florida  and  forming  a  perfect  network — would  be 
to  repeat  the  story  of  railroad  development  in  that 
entire  section. 

"  In  these  enterprises  it  was  the  purpose  of  Mr. 


162  The  Life  of 

Plant  and  his  associates  to  extend  and  add  to  the 
various  properties,  and  they  believed  this  could  best 
be  accomplished  under  a  single  organization  with 
ample  powers.  With  this  object  in  view,  several  of 
his  associates  being  residents  of  Connecticut,  the 
birth-place  of  Mr.  Plant,  a  charter  was  obtained  in 
1882  from  the  legislature  of  that  State,  and  the  Plant 
Investment  Company  organized.  Mr.  Plant  became 
president,  and  remained  such  to  the  present  time. 
Among  his  associates  were  W.  T.  Walters  and  B.  F. 
Newcomer,  of  Baltimore ;  E.  B.  Haskell,  of  Boston  ; 
Henry  M.  Flagler  and  Morris  K.  Jessup,  of  New 
York,  and  Lorenzo  Blackstone,  Henry  Sanford, 
Lynde  Harrison,  H.  P.  Hoadley,  and  G.  H.  Tilley,  of 
Connecticut.  Since  the  formation  of  the  Plant  In- 
vestment Company,  several  properties  have  been  ac- 
quired by  purchase.  In  1885,  they  bought  the 
South  Florida  Railroad,  at  the  time  running  only 
between  Sanford  and  Kissimmee,  which  was  changed 
from  narrow  to  broad  gauge,  with  an  extension  of 
the  line  to  Port  Tampa,  Florida,  which  is  the  port 
of  entry  for  the  West  India  fast  mail  steamers  (Plant 
Steamship  Line)  between  Port  Tampa  and  Havana, 
Cuba.  Subsequently  the  line  was  extended  north 
from  Lakeland  to  a  connection  with  the  Savannah, 
Florida,  and  Western  Railway  (Gainsville  division) 
at  High  Springs,  thus  completing  the  line  from 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  to  Port  Tampa,  Florida. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  163 

Thereafter  the  company  acquired,  in  1887,  the  Bruns- 
wick and  Western  Kailroad,  between  Brunswick  and 
Albany,  Georgia,  via.  VVaycross,  which  road  w^as  re- 
built ;  in  1889,  the  Alabama  Midland  Railway,  from 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  to  Bainbridge,  Georgia ;  and 
in  1892,  the  Silver  Springs,  Ocala,  and  Gulf  Rail- 
road, extending  from  Ocala  to  Homosassa  and  Inver- 
ness, Florida.  In  1893,  the  Tampa  and  Thonoto- 
sassa  Railroad  was  constructed,  from  Tampa  to 
Thonotosassa,  and  the  Winston  and  Bone  Valley 
Railroad  was  purchased  to  accommodate  the  people 
of  the  phosphate  mining  districts.  In  1894,  the 
Abbeville  Southern  Railway,  from  Abbeville,  Ala- 
bama, to  a  junction  of  the  line  of  the  Alabama  Mid- 
land Railway,  was  built.  The  system  has  been 
extended  in  1895  by  the  purchase  of  the  Florida 
Southern  Railway  and  the  Sanford  and  St.  Peters- 
burg Railroad,  both  narrow  gauge  roads,  and  prepar- 
ations are  now  being  made  to  change  them  to 
standard  gauge. 

"  In  addition  to  the  railway  properties  enumerated, 
Mr.  Plant  established  two  lines  of  steamboats :  one, 
in  1880,  to  run  between  Sanford  and  Jacksonville, 
which  w^as  discontinued  upon  the  completion  of  the 
railway  between  these  two  points  ;  the  other  on  the 
Chattahoochie  River,  known  as  the  People's  Line, 
plying  between  Columbus  and  Bainbridge,  Georgia, 
and  Apalachicola,  Florida.     In  1886,  he  established 


164  The  Life  of 

the  Plant  Steamship  Line  for  regular  service  between 
Port  Tampa,  Key  West,  and  Havana,  Cuba,  under 
contract  with  the  United  States  Post  Office  Depart- 
ment, for  the  carriage  of  the  Key  West  and  Havana 
mails,  and  for  occasional  service  between  Port  Tampa 
and  the  island  of  Jamaica,  with  regular  service  be- 
tween Port  Tampa  and  Mobile,  and  Port  Tampa  and 
points  on  the  Manatee  Kiver. 

"  Subsequently  the  line  of  the  Atlantic,  Canada, 
and  Plant  Steamship  Line,  Limited,  running  between 
Boston  and  Halifax,  was  acquired  by  purchase,  and 
chartered  under  the  Dominion  Government  as  the 
Canada,  Atlantic,  and  Plant  Steamship  Company, 
Limited.  In  1893,  the  North  Atlantic  Line  of 
steamers  was  added  to  the  line  through  purchase, 
and  the  route  between  Boston,  Cape  Breton,  and 
Prince  Edward  Island  is  now  operated  by  the 
company  of  which  he  is  at  the  head. 

"The  Plant  Investment  Company  had  widened 
the  gauges  of  its  various  roads  to  the  standard 
measure,  has  organized  the  fast  mail  steamships 
between  Port  Tampa  and  Havana,  and  has  in  many 
other  ways  developed  the  country  and  revolutionized 
the  face  of  nature  in  that  section.  A  reading  of  the 
names  of  the  directors  of  the  Plant  Investment 
Company  shows  that  through  Mr.  Plant  other  men, 
such  as  Mr.  Flagler,  have  been  led  to  investments  in 
the  Gulf  States,  which  are  of  incalculable  value,  and 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  165 

which  will  perpetually  influence  the  destiny  of  the 
South. 

"  Without  entering  into  the  statistical  and  prosaic 
relation  of  railroad  names  and  technical  details,  it 
may  be  said  Mr.  Plant  stands  foremost  as  a  de- 
veloper, and  that  while  honor  is  due  him  for  the 
creation  of  so  much  wealth,  for  the  integrity  of  his 
life,  for  the  energy  with  which  he  has  built  up  the 
country,  yet  it  is  as  a  public  benefactor  and  as  one 
who  has  contributed  vastly  to  the  possibility  of  such 
an  Exposition  being  held  in  the  South,  that  he  will 
be  spoken  of  to-morrow.  When  he  came  here,  in 
1854,  he  found  the  country  wedded  to  a  slave-labor 
system,  which  necessarily  meant  a  purely  agricul- 
tural condition,  and  under  which  it  would  be 
impossible  to  develop  manufacturing  and  other  cor- 
porative industries.  Without  having  been  connected 
in  any  way  with  the  war  or  with  the  politics  which 
preceded  it  or  followed  after  it,  yet  he  was  the 
pioneer  of  that  new  business  which  the  war  made 
possible,  and  which  marks  the  end  of  the  old  and 
the  beginning  of  the  new.  His  career  is  a  remark- 
able example  of  what  can  be  accomplished  by 
untiring  industry  and  indomitable  will.  The  people 
of  Georgia,  Florida,  South  Carolina,  and  Alabama 
cheerfully  acknowledge  the  great  obligations  under 
which  they  have  been  placed  by  the  labors  of  this 
energetic  and  capable  man. 


166  The  Life  of 

"  In  recent  years  be  has  made  his  home  in  New 
York  City,  spending  each  summer  in  Brauford,  Con- 
necticut. He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League 
Club  and  of  the  New  England  Society  of  New  York, 
a  man  of  commanding  appearance,  genial  of  nature, 
dignified  and  courteous  of  manner,  and  as  modest 
as  he  is  competent. 

"  Such  a  man  needs  no  eulogy.  His  works  speak 
for  him.  Such  a  people  as  those  of  the  South  need 
no  incentive  to  recognize  worth  wherever  they  see 
it.  Mr.  Plant  will  be  royally  received  to-morrow, 
and  in  the  closing  years  of  his  life  he  may  well  rest 
satisfied  that  a  people  for  whom  he  has  done  so 
much  will  not  easily  forget  it,  and  that  his  name  will 
be  remembered  as  one  of  the  men  who  have  served 
their  time  and  generation,  and  who  deserve  the  laurel 
wreath  of  immortality. 

"  Forty-one  years  of  his  eventful  life  have  been 
spent  in  the  South  ;  and  his  great  fortune  has  been 
made  in  the  South.  How  many  important  volumes 
of  history  are  crowded  into  those  forty-one  years ! 
Within  that  period  this  man  of  affairs  has  seen  four 
million  slaves  emancipated;  he  has  witnessed  the 
greatest  war  of  modern  times ;  he  has  practically  wit- 
nessed the  birth  of  those  twin  powers — steam  and 
electricity — whose  combined  forces  have  created  new 
conditions  of  life ;  he  has  been  an  eye-witness  to  the 
tearing  down  and  the  upbuilding  of  States  and  the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  167 

adjustment  of  the  American  people  to  a  new  environ- 
ment. And  yet,  amid  all  this  kaleidoscopic  change, 
this  quiet  business  man  has  gone  on  adding  to  his 
fortune  in  peace  and  in  panic,  in  storm  and  in  sun- 
shine, and  his  potential  force  in  Southern  develop- 
ment will  be  fittingly  recognized  and  crowned 
to-morrow,  in  a  day  set  apart  among  the  great  days 
of  the  Exposition  in  his  honor. 

"  What  superb  judgment  and  business  sagacity 
make  up  the  background  of  this  picture  !  Mr.  Plant 
has  never  sought  or  held  office.  His  name  is  not  on 
the  roster  of  military  heroes,  nor  is  it  emblazoned  on 
the  roll  of  those  who  have  won  renown  in  the  evolu- 
tion of  statecraft.  But  in  that  great  battle  of  rebuild- 
ing States  and  industrial  life  in  the  South  he  stands  to- 
day pre-eminent.  Behind  him,  and  loyally  supporting 
him,  is  a  busy  industrial  army  of  12,639  men,  and, 
counting  their  families,  an  army  of  60,000  people. 

"The  lessons  of  Mr.  Plant's  life  are  simple  and 
should  be  an  inspiration  to  young  men  throughout 
America,  He  has  avoided  politics  and  speculation  ; 
he  has  never  bought  nor  built  a  railroad  to  sell ;  he 
has  never  wrecked  a  property  in  order  to  purchase 
it.  He  lives,  and  his  companies  live,  within  their 
income.  He  is  scrupulously  exact  in  keeping  his 
engagements,  and  always  acts  within  the  limits  of 
that  truth,  which  he  often  quotes,  'It  is  easier  to 
promise  than  it  is  to  perform.' 


168  The  Life  of 

"The  lesson  of  bis  life,  wbich  the  occasion  justi- 
fies in  emphasizing,  is  this  :  Faith  in  the  South  and 
her  possibilities  is  the  basis  of  his  great  fortune. 
When  others  have  faltered  be  has  gone  on  investing 
the  earnings  of  his  properties  in  the  South.  In  his 
loyal  friendship  to  the  South,  and  his  unwavering 
faith  in  her  greatness  and  her  coming  glory,  be  has 
proven  his  faith  by  his  work. 

"  Mr.  Plant  is  one  of  those  remarkable  men  who 
master  all  conditions  and  create  environment.  He 
is  a  builder — a  creator.  A  whole  State  blossoms  at 
the  touch  of  bis  magic  wand.  Thousands  and  tens 
of  thousands  bless  him  that  he  uses  and  does  not 
bury  his  talents.  Long  may  he  live — an  example 
to  all  young  men,  an  inspiration  to  investors,  a 
true,  a  loyal,  and  a  royal  friend  of  the  South." 

Surrounded  by  many  of  his  friends  and  associates, 
who  had  assembled  to  pay  their  respects,  Mr.  Plant's 
anniversary  was  most  auspiciously  ushered  in  by  the 
foregoing  remarks  of  a  representative  of  the  Atlanta 
people.  But  it  yet  needed  the  remembrance  of  the 
officers  and  employees  of  the  Plant  System  of  Rail- 
way and  Steamship  Lines  and  of  the  Southern  Ex- 
press Company  to  testify  the  admiration  and  esteem 
in  which  he  w^is  held  by  the  men  who  served  under 
him.  This  tribute  on  the  part  of  the  officers  and 
employees  was  an  unexpected  pleasure  to  Mr.  Plant. 
In  referring  to  the  event,  the  Atlanta  Constitution 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  169 

published  the  following  account  of  the  presentations 
and  of  Mr.  Plant's  response  : 

From  the  Atlanta  Constitution,  October  28,  1895. 

''  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  President  of  the  Plant  System 
of  Railway  and  Steamship  Lines,  was  complimented 
yesterday  as  few  great  railroad  kings  have  ever  been 
complimented  by  the  men  who  compose  the  vast 
army  of  workers  under  their  direction. 

"It  was  the  seventy-sixth  birthday  of  the  well- 
known  giant  of  the  Southern  railway  world,  and  lie 
was  presented  with  rich  and  rare  tokens  of  the  love, 
honor  and  affection  which  his  employees  bear  him. 

"  It  was  a  happy  day  all  round,  and  the  Plant  peo- 
ple fairly  revelled  in  the  privilege  of  paying  such  be- 
comins:  tribute  to  the  man  who  has  done  so  much  for 
the  Southern  States. 

"  As  for  Mr.  Plant  himself,  he  declared  that  it  was 
certainly  one  of  the  happiest  moments  of  his  life,  and 
the  brightest,  happiest  birthday  he  ever  enjoyed. 

"  At  a  quarter  to  ten  o'clock  Mr.  Plant  was  noti- 
fied that  a  number  of  prominent  officials  of  his  vari- 
ous systems  of  transportation  lines  were  waiting  to 
see  him  at  his  private  parlors  at  the  Aragon. 

"  He  met  them,  and  was  informed  that  they  wanted 
to  join  with  him  in  the  name  of  every  employee  of 
the  lines  to  exchange  the  congratulations  and  com- 
pliments of  the  season  of  his  birthday.     Mr.  Plant 


no  The  Life  of 

at  once  summoned  his  family  and  friends,  who  are. 
with  him  here,  and  soon  Mrs.  Plant,  Mrs.  M.  A. 
Wood,  Dr.  G.  Diirrant,  Rev.  Dr.  Smythe,  and  Vice- 
President  M.  F.  Plant  were  in  the  parlor.  There 
were  also  present  the  following  friends  and  associ- 
ates in  the  railway  and  express  business  : 

"  R.  G.  Erwin,  Vice-President  and  General  Coun- 
sel, Plant  System;  M.  J.  O'Brien,  Vice-President 
and  General  Manager,  Southern  Express  Company ; 
D.  F.  Jack,  Assistant  to  the  President ;  B.  Dunham, 
General  Superintendent,  Plant  System  of  Railways  ; 
J.  W.  Fitzgerald,  Superintendent,  Plant  Steamship 
Line ;  B.  W.  Wrenn,  Passenger  Traffic  Manager, 
Plant  System ;  F.  B.  Papy,  General  Freight  Agent, 
Plant  System ;  Hon.  F.  G.  duBignon,  General  Coun- 
sel; T.  W.  Leary,  Assistant  General  Manager, 
Southern  Express  Company;  G.  H.  Tilley,  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer,  Southern  Express  Company; 
F.  Q.  Brown,  President,  Florida  Southern  Railway ; 
Hon.  S.  G.  McLendon,  Counsel,  Plant  System  of 
Railways;  O.  M.  Sadler,  Superintendent  Southern 
Express  Company,  Piedmont  Division  ;  H.  C.  Fisher, 
Superintendent  Southern  Division,  Southern  Ex- 
press; C.  T.  Campbell,  Superintendent  Southern 
Express  Company,  Central  Division ;  W.  W.  Hul- 
bert,  Superintendent  Georgia  Division,  Southern 
Express  Company ;  Mark  J.  O'Brien,  Assistant  Su- 
perintendent Southern  Express  Company,   Central 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  171 

Division;  F.  DeC.  Sullivan,  New  York;  E.  M. 
Williams,  New  York;  W.  S.  Chisholm,  member  of 
the  firm  of  Erwin,  DuBignon,  &  Chisholm,  Attorneys 
for  the  Plant  System  of  Railroads,  Savannah. 

"  The  room  was  a  scene  of  rare  beauty,  there  being 
on  every  side  a  huge  bank .  of  flowers,  fragrantly 
speaking  the  affectionate  salute  of  the  employees  of 
Mr.  Plant  and  members  of  his  family.  On  one  side 
was  a  beautiful  vase  of  American  Beauty  roses,  sent 
from  the  main  office  of  the  Plant  System  in  New 
York,  by  the  employees  there. 

"  Appropriate  inscriptions  were  embroidered  in 
letters  of  gold  on  the  ribbons  of  red,  white,  and  blue 
tied  about  the  long  stems  of  the  roses.  On  the 
other  side  was  a  bank  of  carnations,  chrysanthe- 
mums, lilies,  and  roses  from  H.  B.  Plant,  Jr.  This 
pleased  Mr.  Plant  greatly,  coming  from  a  little  son 
of  Mr.  M.  F.  Plant,  a  grandson  of  the  distinguished 
railroad  magnate. 

"  On  a  pretty  table  in  the  centre  was  a  huge  and 
gorgeous  silver  cup — a  loving-cup — which  was  pre- 
sented to  Mr.  Plant  by  Mr.  S.  Gr.  McLendon,  on  behalf 
of  the  employees  of  the  railway  department  of  his 
great  System.  It  is  a  most  beautiful  and  elaborate 
solid  silver  cup,  and  will  hold  two  gallons  of  cham- 
pagne. It  is,  perhaps,  the  finest  and  most  artistic  piece 
of  work  ever  made  by  the  Gorham  Manufacturing 
Company,  of  New  York.     The  idea  conveyed  in  the 


172  The  Life  of 

loving-cup  is  a  most  beautiful  one.  The  cup  has 
two  large  handles,  and  around  the  festal  board  is 
turned  from  hand  to  hand,  each  guest  taking  a  quaff, 
the  cup  being  held  by  two  persons.  The  cup  never 
touches  the  board  until  it  has  made  the  round  of  the 
guests. 

"  This  cup,  presented  by  the  Plant  Railway  Sys- 
tem employees,  is  handsomely  engraved,  and  bears 
on  one  side  this  inscription :  '  The  Railway  Em 
ployees  of  the  Plant  System  to  H.  B.  Plant,  Presi 
dent.'  On  the  reverse  side  is  the  date,  '  October  27 
1895.' 

"In  presenting  this  beautiful  token,  Mr.  S.  G 
McLendon,  attorney  for  the  Plant  System  at  Thorn 
asville,  read  the  following  testimonial  on  behalf  of 
the  employees : 

"'Mr.  Plant:— The  employees  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem  of  Railways  extend  to  you  their  sincere  and 
heartfelt  congratulations  upon  this,  your  birthday. 

"  '  As  a  slight  token  of  their  affectionate  and  loyal 
regard,  they  present  you  this  loving-cup,  filled  with 
their  best  wishes  for  your  continued  health  and 
strength.  It  was  no  idle  fancy  which  prompted  the 
selection  of  this  modest  testimonial ;  its  name  aptly 
marks  the  impulse  which  promj^ted  the  gift,  and 
which  it  but  inadequately  measures  by  its  size. 

" '  The  author  of  a  great  railway  system,  such  as 
that  which  bears  your  name,  must  be  to  all  man- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  173 

kind  a  genuine  benefactor ;    but  to  you  belongs,  in 
truth,  an  honor  and  distinction  far  more  precious. 

"  *  To  promote  the  well-being  of  one  fellow-man, 
to  upbuild  the  material  interests  of  great  and  grow- 
ing States,  and  to  see  new  life,  hope,  and  promise  rise 
up  with  smiling  face  and  outstretched,  laden  hands, 
is  indeed  enough  to  fulfill  the  measure  of  any  ordi- 
nary ambition  ;  but  when  to  the  gratification  which 
springs  from  such  a  consciousness  is  added  the 
knowledge  that  those  who  labored  with  and  under 
you  in  these  great  enterprises,  whose  part  it  was  to 
follow  and  obey,  are  each  and  all  as  loyal  and  de- 
voted to  you  personally  as  you  have  been,  through 
many  years  and  trials,  to  the  great  interests  confided 
to  your  care,  satisfaction  must  ripen  into  that  con- 
tentment which  only  comes  when  the  "  softer  green 
of  our  better  selves  "  is  in  the  ascendant. 

" '  It  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  the  employees  that 
for  many,  many  years  yet  to  come  your  life  and 
activity  may  be  spared  to  the  great  properties 
which  owe  their  existence  and  prosperity  to  your 
foresight  and  sagacity,  and  as  the  seasons  come  and 
go,  they  crave  for  themselves  no  higher  privilege  than 
to  refill  this  cup  with  renewed  affection  and  esteem. 

" '  For  the  employees  of  the  Plant  System  of 
Eailways. 

" '  B.  Dunham, 
"  *  General  Superintendent.' 


1^-i  The  Life  of 

"  The  employees  of  the  steamship  Hues  of  the 
Plant  System  sent  a  handsome  and  perfect  combin- 
ation compass,  barometer,  and  thermometer  as  a 
fitting  birthday  present  to  Mr.  Plant.  Hon.  Fleming 
du  Bignon,  General  Counsel  for  the  Plant  System^ 
read  the  following  letter  in  making  the  presentation 
on  behalf  of  the  men  who  manage  this  branch  of 
Mr.  Plant's  vast  business  : 

"'Atlanta,  Geoegia,  October  27,  1895. 

"'Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  President. — Dear  Sir:  The 
love  and  confidence  of  associates,  neighbors  and 
friends  are  to  be  valued  more  than  silver  and  gold. 
In  this  life  the  point  set  to  bound  one's  career  ought  to 
be  the  esteem  of  his  fellovr-men.  For  such  an  honor 
good  men  strive  in  all  the  protean  forms  of  earthly 
contest.  To  gain  this  reward,  to  touch  the  dust- 
covered  goal  with  a  glowing  chariot  wheel,  is  worthy 
of  the  loftiest  ambition.  No  human  being  can  pos- 
sess any  greater  glory  than  the  estimation  of  the 
people  among  whom  he  lives. 

"'Acting  upon  the  principle  that  labor  conquers 
all  things,  and  that  time  will  bring  its  own  rewards, 
you  struck  out  for  yourself  into  the  great  ocean  of 
busy  life  around  you  and  struggled  heroically  with 
its  billows.  You  were  strong  and  worthy,  and  your 
fellow-men  were  not  slow  in  making  the  discoveiy. 
Your  unbounded  faith  in  the  future  of  this  marvel- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  175 

lous  section,  coupled  with  your  genius  and  intelligent 
direction,  have  advanced  the  several  States  into 
which  your  enterprises  now  extend  into  command- 
ing positions  of  commercial  superiority.  Your  ships 
have  not  drifted  like  dead  sea-weeds  upon  the  tops 
of  sleepy  waves,  but,  laden  with  the  rich  treasures 
of  this  and  other  climes,  have  travelled  the  wide 
seas  over  as  a  public  benefaction.  The  mind  of 
man  cannot  measure,  nor  can  the  tongue  of  man  de- 
scribe, the  practical  good  your  energies  have  accom- 
plished. The  Plant  System,  consisting  of  many 
thousands  of  miles  of  telegraph,  express,  railway, 
and  steamship  lines,  founded  by  your  genius,  is  a 
monument  to  your  memory  more  lasting  than  brass 
and  more  enduring  than  marble. 

" '  Concealing  quick  feelings  under  an  appearance 
of  reserve,  you  have  never  deemed  it  a  weakness 
to  give  sway  to  the  influence  of  loving  and  sympa- 
thetic emotions.  Your  benevolences,  therefore, 
have  made  life  beautiful  to  many  people.  Associ- 
ated with  you  for  so  long  a  time,  it  is  natural 
that  we,  the  employees  of  the  Plant  Steamship 
Line,  should  feel  a  filial  pride  in  the  success  of 
your  varied  and  various  undertakings.  We  are 
proud  of  the  history  you  have  made.  We  come 
to-day,  therefore,  to  bring  you  our  greetings,  to 
manifest  our  love  and  admiration,  and  to  express 
the   hope  that   your   useful   and  distinguished  life 


176  The  Life  of 

may  be  spared  many  years  to  your  country,  family, 
and  friends. 

" '  As  an  evidence  of  our  affection  and  respect,  we 
herewith  present  you,  as  a  fitting  birthday  gift,  this 
compass,  commonly  used  for  directing  and  ascertain- 
ing the  course  of  ships  over  a  waste  of  waters. 
This  compass  is  fitted  with  a  magnetic  needle  which 
points  ever  to  the  north,  enabling  the  tempest-tossed 
mariner  to  hold  his  way  over  the  stormy  sea  when 
there  is  neither  cape  nor  headland,  sun,  moon,  nor 
stars,  nor  any  mark  in  the  heavens  or  on  the  earth 
to  tell  him  when  or  where  or  how  to  steer. 

" '  We  pray  that  the  star  of  destiny,  like  this  mys- 
terious needle,  will  ever  guide  and  help  you  to  keep 
an  unfaltering  step  along  the  dangerous  crags  and 
treacherous  precipices  which  beset  the  pathway  of 
every  man,  and  that  your  life  may  be  long  and  use- 
ful "  in  the  land  that  the  Lord,  thy  God,  giveth  thee." 
"  *  Truly  yours, 

" '  J.  W.  Fitzgerald. 

" '  On  behalf  of  the  employees  of  the  Plant  Steam- 
ship Line.' 

"  The  Southern  Express  men  presented  their  pres- 
ident with  a  handsome  marine  glass. 

"The  following  testimonial,  read  byT.  W.  Leary, 
Assistant  General  Manager  of  the  Southern  Express 
Company,   which  was  organized   by  Mr.  Plant  in 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  177 

1853,  explains   the   sentiment   conveyed   with   the 
gift: 

"'Atlanta,  Georgia,  October  27,  1895. 

" '  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  President  Southern  Express 
Company. — Dear  Sir  :  The  employees  of  the  South- 
ern Express  Company  extend  to  you  on  this  anni- 
versary of  your  birthday  cordial  greetings,  fraught 
with  sentiments  of  highest  respect  and  esteem,  in- 
spired by  the  kindly  courtesy  and  impartial  consid- 
eration which  have  ever  marked  your  intercourse 
with  them. 

" '  Regarding  you  not  alone  as  an  official  superior, 
but  also  as  a  personal  friend,  sensible  to  their  wel- 
fare and  the  true  relationship  of  the  employer  and 
the  employee,  exemplified  by  your  long  career  in 
friendly  association  with  those  with  whom  you  have 
called  around  you  in  the  conduct  of  the  company's 
affairs,  they  are  glad  to  avail  themselves  of  this 
auspicious  occasion  to  manifest  the  interest  it  in- 
spires within  them  by  an  offering  in  token  of  their 
appreciation  and  good  will. 

" '  It  is,  therefore,  the  privilege  and  pleasure  of  the 
undersigned,  in  behalf  of  the  employees  of  the 
Southern  Express  Company,  to  present  to  you  the 
accompanying  testimonial,  coupled  with  heartfelt 
wishes  that  as  things  viewed  through  its  lenses  are 
brought  clearer  and  closer  to  vision,  so  with  each 
succeeding  return  of  the  day  this  glass  commemo- 


178  The  Life  of 

rates,  may  you  see  the  nearer  fruition  of  the  unre- 
mitting labor  of  years  devoted  to  the  upbuilding  of 
those  important  enterprises  with  the  history  of 
which  your  name  is  indissolubly  connected. 

" '  Commending  this  souvenir  to  your  acceptance 
with  the  united  hope  of  those  from  whom  it  comes 
that  continued  health,  strength,  and  success  may  be 
granted  you  in  the  future,  we  are,  yours  faithfully, 
"'R  L.  Cooper, 
"  '  W.  A.  Dewees, 
" '  W.  M.  Shoemaker, 
" '  Committee.' 

"After  the  above  letters  were  read,  Mr.  Plant 
addressed  those  present  in  substance  as  follows : 

" '  Gentlemen  of  the  Plant  System  of  Railroads 
and  Steamship  Lines  and  of  the  Southern  Express 
Company,  and  my  Friends :  I  thank  you  sincerely 
for  the  beautiful  presents  which  you  have  given  me 
on  this  the  anniversary  of  my  birth,  and  for  the  lov- 
ing words  of  congratulation  which  accompany  them. 

" '  While  it  reached  my  ears  that  there  was  to  be 
some  observance  of  the  occasion,  I  am  wholly  unpre- 
pared for  the  magnificence  of  the  gifts  and  the 
demonstration  of  fidelity  and  affection  with  which 
they  are  accompanied,  and  I  am,  therefore,  unable 
to  do  justice  to  myself  in  expressing  to  you  the  ap- 
preciation I  feel.     I  speak  from  a  full  heart,  and  can 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  179 

more  than  fill  this  beautiful  loving-cup  with  affec- 
tion and  esteem  for  you,  and  for  the  employees 
whose  feelings  towards  me  are  manifested  not  only 
by  this  testimonial,  but  as  well  by  their  constant 
and  untiring  devotion  to  the  trusts  confided  to  them 
through  many  years.  To  them,  in  a  large  measure, 
is  due  such  success  as  has  crowned  my  efforts  in 
railway  construction  and  management,  and  I  now 
take  pleasure  in  making  this  acknowledgment,  and 
in  assuring  them  of  my  continued  confidence  in 
them  and  of  my  gratitude  to  them ;  without  their 
unflagging  efforts  no  measure  of  success  could  have 
been  achieved.  I  look  to  them  all  with  the  full 
assurance  that  the  future,  with  their  assistance,  will 
result  in  still  greater  accomplishments  in  our  rail- 
way enterprises. 

"  '  This  compass,  the  gift  of  the  employees  of  the 
Plant  Steamship  Line,  brings  to  my  mind  the 
thought  that,  whatever  may  have  been  my  mistake's 
in  life,  I  have  always  had  one  aim,  which,  like  the 
needle,  though  oscillating  and  varying  at  times  in 
some  slight  degree,  pointed  ever  to  one  end,  and  that 
was  to  endeavor  to  do  what  was  right  and  just. 

" '  Our  steamships  were  the  children  of  my  later 
years,  and  they,  with  the  faithful  employees  who 
operate  them,  are,  and  shall  continue  to  be,  very 
near  to  my  heart. 

"  '  The  gift  of  the  employees  of  the  Southern  Ex- 


180  The  Life  of 

press  Company  brings  to  my  mind  pictures  of  the 
past.  The  express  business  was  my  first  love,  and  I 
see  here  present  those  who  were  with  me  in  troub- 
lous times,  and  bore  with  me  the  heat  and  burden 
of  the  fight.  Their  affection  and  loyalty  have  sus- 
tained me  in  many  an  anxious  moment,  and  the 
knowledge  that  I  had  around  me  those  upon  whom 
I  could  count  in  every  peril  has  enabled  me  to 
achieve  some  measure  of  success.  To  extend  to 
them  my  thanks  for  all  that  they  have  been  to  me 
and  done  for  me  would  be  idle.  They  know  how  I 
feel  towards  them,  and  I  am  sure  I  know  how  they 
feel  towards  me. 

"  *  I  wish  to  say  to  you  all  that  I  am  more  apt  to 
express  my  feelings  in  acts  than  in  words  ;  many  of 
the  employees  of  our  several  companies  have  been 
with  me  so  long  that  they  have  become  as  members 
of  my  family.  I  feel  towards  all  the  employees 
that  in  a  business  sense  they  are  members  of  my 
family  and  I  want  them  to  feel  that  they  bear  this 
relation  to  me. 

"  '  I  see  w^ith  us  to-day  one  to  whom  I  feel  I  owe 
much  ;  I  refer  to  Dr.  G.  Durrant,  of  New  York.  I 
had  a  severe  attack  of  illness  last  May,  but  did  not 
know  until  long  after  it  w^as  over  how  near  to  death 
I  was.  To  his  untiring  and  faithful  attention,  both 
as  a  good  friend  and  as  a  skilled  physician,  I  owe  my 
recovery,  perhaps  my  life,  and  it  gives  me  pleasure  ta 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  181 

take  this  occasion  to  express  my  confidence  in  him 
and  my  thanks  to  him. 

"  '  These  beautiful  flowers  on  my  left  came  to  me 
from  my  little  grandson,  and  I  bespeak  in  his  behalf 
from  you  all  the  love  and  affection  which  you  have 
shown  to  me,  and  express  the  hope  that  in  days  to 
come,  when  I  am  no  more  with  you,  he  may  be  one 
of  yourselves  and  a  co-worker  in  the  enterprises 
which  all  the  employees  of  our  companies  sustain 
by  their  energies  and  their  work. 

"  '  These  flowers  on  my  right  come  from  those  at 
our  New  York  office,  some  of  whom  cannot  be  witli 
us  to-day  in  person,  but  who  are  with  us  in  spirit 
and  love  and  testify  their  memory  of  the  occasion  by 
this  beautiful  remembrance. 

" '  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frank  Q.  Brown,  of  Boston,  have 
presented  me  with  this  cane,  which  I  appreciate  very 
highly,  but  will  hope  that  I  may  not  need  to  have 
immediate  use  for  it,  though  if  that  time  should  come 
it  will  be  a  staff  upon  which  I  will  gladly  lean. 
Mr.  Brown  is  now  one  of  us,  and  though  he  has  but 
lately  come  among  us,  I  am  sure  you  will  all  welcome 
the  President  of  the  Florida  Southern  Railway  in 
our  ranks.'     [Applause.] 

"  It  was  the  happiest  of  seasons  for  Mr.  Plant,  and 
his  face  beamed  brightly  with  the  light  of  profound 
gladness. 

"All  day  there  was  a  stream  of    distinguished 


/ 


182 


Henry  Bradley  Plant 


callers,  who  congratulated  him  on  the  day  with  good 
wishes  for  many  returns.  Letters  and  telegrams  and 
cablegrams  were  read,  all  bearing  the  hearty  con- 
gratulations of  friends  and  employees." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Tampa  Bay  Hotel,  One  of  the  Modern  Wonders  of  the  World— Its 
Architecture,  Furniture,  Works  of  Art,  Decorations,  Tapestries, 
Paintings,  Inlaid  Table  and  Three  Ebony  and  Gold  Cabinets  from 
the  Tuileries,  a  Sofa  and  Two  Chairs  once  Owned  by  Marie  An- 
toinette—The Dream  of  De  Soto  Realized — A  Palace  of  Art  for 
the  Delight  and  Joy  of  Those  who  are  in  Health,  and  an  Elysium 
for  the  Sad  and  Sorrowful. 

THE  following  account  of  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel, 
from  the  pen  of  W.  C.  Prime,  is  taken  from  the 
New  York  Journal  of  Commerce : 

"  The  most  charming  book  in  all  the  world  of  lit- 
erature is  the  collection  of  tales  known  to  common 
fame  as  the  Arabian  Nights.  Their  charm  consists 
in  the  total  freedom  from  all  restraints  of  verities,  of 
either  probabilities  or  possibilities.  Events  occur 
in  dreamlike  succession,  and  transformations  take 
place  with  such  delicious  swiftness  and  ease  that,  if 
you  read  the  story  as  you  should,  with  forgetfulness 
of  self,  and  without  any  of  the  folly  of  critical  judg- 
ment, you  are  removed  into  another  world  than  this 
— a  world  of  refreshing  liberty,  wherein  thought  has 
no  bounds  and  imagination  flows  in  glorious  revelry. 


184  The  Life  of 

"That  which  the  unknown  Saracen  story-teller 
created  in  words  and  fancies,  this  late  nineteenth 
century  seeks  to  create  in  reality,  by  the  aid  of  wealth 
and  steam  and  electricity.  It  does  not  succeed.  But 
it  comes  so  near  to  success  that  we  may  wonder  and 
admire,  and  for  a  moment  at  a  time  we  can  forget 
that  the  result  is  artificial,  not  natural,  and  that  it  is 
a  miracle  of  human  invention  which  dazzles  and  as- 
tonishes  our  senses.  All  this  by  way  of  introduction 
to  my  letter.     .     .     . 

"  The  scene  changed  suddenly.  The  train  emerged 
into  a  blaze  of  electric  light.  By  this  blaze  of  light 
you  could  see,  high  in  the  air  and  stretching  a  thou- 
sand feet  to  right  and  left,  bright  domes  and  mina- 
rets, appearing  and  disappearing  with  all  the 
swiftness  of  magic.  It  was  bewildering.  A  few 
steps  lead  into  the  blinding  light  of  the  grand  hall 
of  the  new  hotel,  a  wilderness  of  all  that  is  gorgeous 
in  works  of  modern  art.  Rich  furniture  in  gold 
and  ebony,  velvets,  tapestries,  grand  vases  of  porce- 
lain, massive  figures  in  pottery,  bronzes  in  groups, 
small  and  of  life  size,  oil-paintings,  works  of  mas- 
ters, etchings,  engravings,  carvings,  in  short,  count- 
less examples  of  the  most  costly  and  superb  art 
productions  of  the  age,  under  a  flood  of  light  from 
a  hundred  electric  bands ;  all  this  bursting  on  the 
gaze  of  the  traveller  at  the  end  of  his  journey,  it 
forms  what  may  well  be  considered  a  modern  arti- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  185 

ficial  approximation  to  one  of  the  transformations  in 
dreams  of  the  Saracens. 

"  It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  this  Tampa  Bay  Hotel 
is  one  of  the  modern  wonders  of  the  world.  It  is  a 
product  of  the  times.  It  illustrates  the  age,  the  de- 
mands of  the  people,  what  they  enjoy,  and  what  they 
are  willing  to  pay  for.  I  have  no  space  to  enter  into 
a  descri^^tion  of  it.  It  would  require  a  guide-book 
for  a  full  description.  '  It  is  splendid,  but  it  is  in- 
congruous,' said  a  friend.  ^  Why  should  it  be  in- 
congruous ? '  was  my  reply.  'It  is  a  hotel,  not  a 
private  house.'  There  is,  nevertheless,  a  sufficiency 
of  uniformity  in  the  building  and  decorations,  while 
the  general  principle  of  the  furnishing  is  in  harlequin 
style,  which  is  most  pleasing  to  the  mass  of  visitors. 
Each  work  of  art  (of  which  there  are  hundreds  and 
hundreds)  is  chosen  by  some  one  who  has  exercised 
taste  of  high  order.  The  objects  are  good,  each 
worthy  of  examination.  The  many  large  tapestries 
are  costly,  and  are  fine  works.  The  paintings  are 
of  extraordinary  rank.  There  is  no  more  striking 
feature  of  the  furniture  than  the  table  porcelains. 
These  are  exquisite  works  of  ceramic  art.  The 
plates  are  of  infinite  variety.  You  may  have  your 
beef  on  a  very  charming  bit  of  French  porcelain, 
3^our  salad  on  a  reproduction  of  an  old  Vienna 
plate  of  semi-Saracenic  pattern,  3'our  ice  on  one  of 
the  little  plates  designed  by  Moritz  Fischer,  and 


186  The  Life  of 

copied  elsewhere,  your  coffee  in  a  very  perfect  repe- 
tition of  one  of  WedgewoocVs  simple  and  lovely 
bordered  cups.  In  fact,  there  is  no  end  to  the 
variety  of  these  lovely  porcelains.  And  just  here 
I  may  add,  that  the  cooking  and  the  service  are 
unexceptionable.  The  table  is  of  the  very  best 
class,  and  equal  to  that  of  any  hotel  in  the  world. 
This,  too,  is  miraculous,  in  a  new  house  at  this  re- 
mote point. 

"I  may  sum  up  a  sketch  of  the  hotel  in  a  few 
words.  There  is  nothing  cheap,  nothing  inferior  in 
it.  Money  has  been  freely  expended  in  the  pur- 
chase of  the  most  costly  objects,  in  all  departments 
of  art,  for  furniture  and  decorations ;  good  taste 
has  been  exercised  in  the  selection  of  these  objects, 
and  they  are  brought  together  in  lavish  profusion. 
The  building  is  vast  in  extent.  The  grounds  around 
it  have  been  rescued  from  savage  nature  and  re- 
duced to  order  and  beauty.  The  river  is  in  front 
and  Tampa  lies  across  the  river,  which  is  narrowed 
to  less  than  three  hundred  feet  wide.  Some  hun- 
dred palmetto  trees  have  been  transplanted  to  form 
a  grove  near  the  river.  Orange  blossoms  in  neigh- 
boring orchards  fill  the  air  with  their  odor.  Pine- 
apples grow  in  luxuriance.  To  one  who  knew 
this  spot  as  I  knew  it  years  ago,  the  gorgeous  hotel 
and  its  surroundings  may  well  seem  the  creation  of 
a  dream." 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  187 

Mr.  Henry  G.  Parker,  in  the  Boston  Saturday 
Evening  Gazette,  writes: 

"  It  was  reserved  for  the  sagacious  and  enterprising 
railroad  and  steamboat  magnate,  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  to 
reap  the  honor  of  erecting  in  tropical  Florida  the 
most  attractive,  most  original,  and  most  beautiful  ho- 
tel in  the  South,  if  not  in  the  whole  country ;  and  it 
is  a  hotel  of  which  the  whole  world  needs  to  be  ad- 
vised. It  has  one  vase,  which  is  the  admiration  and 
wonder  of  all  who  behold  it,  in  the  grand  office  ro- 
tunda, where  ladies  and  gentlemen  congregate  at  all 
hours  of  the  day  and  evening.  The  entire  estate, 
including  land  and  building,  cost  two  millions  of  dol- 
lars, and  the  furniture  and  fittings  half  a  million  more. 
No  one  who  does  not  see  it  and  dwell  in  it  for  at  least 
a  day,  can  form  the  faintest  idea  of  the  comprehen- 
siveness of  its  purpose,  the  breadth  of  its  plan,  the 
ideal  refinement  of  its  comforts,  the  noble  scale  of  its 
luxuries.  Nothing  offends  the  eye  or  the  taste  at  any 
point,  and  while  the  first  view  of  the  hotel  exteriorly 
is  impressive,  the  effect  produced  by  a  first  glance  on 
entering  its  broad  and  inviting  portals  is  one  of  aston- 
ishment and  delight. 

"  The  architecture  of  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel  is  Moor- 
ish, patterned  after  the  palaces  in  Spain.  The  horse- 
shoe and  crescent  are  everywhere  visible  in  its  design, 
and  minarets  and  domes  tower  above  the  great  build- 
ing, which  is  five  stories  high  above  the  basement. 


188  The  Life  of 

The  house  is  constructed  of  Atlanta  red  brick  with 
rolled  steel  beams,  and  brick  partitions,  floors,  and 
ceilings,  and  so  is  absolutely  fire-proof. 

"  Numerous  flights  of  stone  steps  lead  up  by  easy 
ascent  to  the  long  verandas  that  extend  along  each 
side  of  the  structure.  These  piazzas  vary  in  width 
from  sixteen  to  twenty-six  feet.  The  length  of  the 
main  building  is  511  feet,  but  with  the  solarium  and 
dining-room,  which  are  connected  with  it,  the  house 
aifords  a  continuous  walk  of  twelve  hundred  feet,  and 
the  walk  around  it  on  the  outside  is  exactly  one  mile. 
On  thebuilding  there  are  thirteen  minarets  and  domes, 
each  surmounted  with  a  gilt  crescent,  making  in  all  a 
complete  lunar  year.  The  hotel  contains,  nearly  five 
hundred  rooms. 

"  The  drawing-room,  in  perfect  taste  throughout, 
is  a  museum  of  beautiful  things,  embracing  fine  con- 
trasts, rich  harmonies,  and  pleasant  innovations  that 
render  it  indeed  '  a  joy  forever.'  Here  there  is  an 
inlaid  table  which  once  graced  the  Tuileries,  as  did 
also  three  ebony  and  gold  cabinets.  On  the  table  is 
a  rare  bit  of  sculpture,  The  Sleeping  Beauty,  in 
Carrara  marble.  There  are  a  sofa  and  two  chairs  that 
were  owned  by  Marie  Antoinette.  A  set  of  four 
chairs  may  be  seen  that  belonged  to  Louis  Philippe. 
Then  there  are  numerous  French  and  Japanese  cabi- 
nets, and  above  each  is  suspended  a  dazzling  crystal 
mirror.     All  these  and  hundreds  of  other  wonderful 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  189 

things  were  personally  secured  in  Europe  by  Mr. 
Plant  and  his  accomplished  wife,  while  Boston,  New 
York,  and  Grand  Rapids  have  been  drawn  upon  for 
what  is  best  in  their  specialties  in  useful  and  orna- 
mental furniture. 

"  The  dining-room  is  octagon  in  shape,  lighted  from 
above,  and  is  decorated  with  costly  and  elegant  tapes- 
tries and  Japanese  screens.  Its  tables  and  nicely  up- 
holstered chairs  are  the  very  acme  of  comfort,  and 
the  whole  apartment  is  tempting,  aside  from  the 
unsurpassed  excellence  of  the  cuisine.  The  waiters 
are  well  groomed  and  well  trained,  having  gained 
their  knowledge  and  their  courtesy  in  the  leading 
hotels  and  clubs  of  New  York.  The  clief  is  Joseph 
P.  Campazzi,  celebrated  all  over  this  country.  He 
has  fourteen  first-class  assistants,  besides  a  dozen 
others,  in  his  kitchen,  which  is  the  largest,  most  thor- 
oughly equipped  and  most  convenient  to  be  found  in 
the  United  States.  He  has  arranged  his  departments 
for  the  care  of  meats,  game,  and  fish  on  a  plan  of  his 
own,  which  is  worthy  the  attention  and  examination 
of  every  chef  in  the  land.  His  ice-box  contains  be- 
tween four  and  five  tons,  and  he  provides  also  for 
The  Inn  (also  Mr.  Plant's  property),  at  Tampa  Port, 
and  for  the  Havana  steamers  of  the  Plant  Line.  Meats 
are  shipped  in  a  refrigerator  car  from  New  York, 
while  game  goes  from  Baltimore,  and  largely  from 
the  sportsmen  in  and  about  Tampa.     Fish  is  to  be 


190  The  Life  of 

fouud  in  great  variety  and  abundance  in  Southern 
Florida,  at  very  low  prices,  and  red  snapper,  pom- 
pano,  slieepshead,  and  shad,  deliciously  cooked,  are 
always  to  be  found  upon  the  table.  Giovanni  Car- 
retta,  who  for  fifteen  years  enjoyed  a  remarkable 
fame  in  New  York  at  Delmonico's  and  the  Union 
Club,  is  the  pastry-cook,  and  his  deft  hand  has  lost 
none  of  its  wonted  cunning.  Rossi,  from  the  Man- 
hattan Club,  is  the  baker. 

"  There  are  two  hundred  employees  in  the  Tampa 
Bay  Hotel,  all  of  them  carefully  selected  with  a  view 
to  their  special  fitness  for  the  places  they  fill.  The 
chambers  and  suites  are  handsome  and  convenient 
proportionately  with  the  public  rooms.  The  carpets 
everywhere  are  harmonious  in  color,  restful  to  the 
eye,  and  in  the  best  of  taste ;  more  than  thirty  thou- 
sand yards  of  them  have  been  laid. 

"  The  music-room  is  a  special  feature.  It  is  large, 
well  ventilated,  attractive  in  its  circular  form,  simple 
in  decoration,  has  a  raised  stage,  and  its  acoustic 
properties  are  fine.  Moreover,  the  band  is  superb. 
It  consists  of  sixteen  picked  and  skillful  musicians, 
six  of  whom  were  taken  from  the  Boston  Symphony 
Orchestra.  Their  performances  of  classical  music,  as 
well  as  of  the  tuneful  and  delicious  dance  music,  will 
stand  the  test  of  severe  criticism,  and  not  be  found 
wanting.  This  important  feature  of  entertainment 
is  to  be  maintained  at  any  cost,  and  it  affords  a  great 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  191 

deal  of  pleasure  to  all  who  visit  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel. 
"  Tampa  is  of  interest  historically,  being  the  place 
where  Ferdinand  De  Soto  landed,  May  25,  1539. 
From  there  he  started  on  his  search  for  the  mines  of 
wealth  supposed  to  exist  in  the  New  World,  which 
resulted  in  the  discovery  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
There  also  Navarez,  having  obtained  a  grant  of 
Florida  from  Charles  V.  of  Spain,  landed  with  a 
large  force,  April  16,  1528.  Tampa  is  on  the  Gulf 
coast  of  Florida,  240  miles  from  Jacksonville.  There 
are  two  trains  daily,  with  Pullman  cars,  from  Jack- 
sonville and  St.  Augustine  to  Tampa,  passing  through 
Palatka,  Sanford,  and  AVinter  Park,  both  having  di- 
rect connection  with  all  Eastern  and  Western  cities, 
and  one  being  a  through  train  from  New  Yoi'k.  Its 
rapid  growth  during  the  past  seven  years,  from  eight 
hundred  inhabitants  to  as  many  thousands,  has  been 
brought  about  by  the  Plant  System  having  completed 
the  South  Florida  Railroad  to  Tampa  for  the  purpose 
of  developing  it  commercially.  The  climate  is  perfect, 
and  it  is  the  only  city  in  Florida  with  all  the  advan- 
tages of  both  inland  and  coast  without  the  incon- 
venience of  either  ;  the  only  city  that  affords  all  the 
delights  of  a  sportsman's  life  to  hunter  and  fisher, 
yachtsmen  and  horsemen,  along  with  first-class  busi- 
ness facilities  in  all  directions.  No  malaria  ever  in- 
fects the  delicious  air,  and  the  water  is  as  soft  as 
lavender.     It  is  the  place  of  places  for  invalids,  and 


192  The  Life  of 

a  lapse  of  two  years  will  see  Tampa  the  most  impor- 
tant business  city  in  its  State.  We  are  writing,  not 
for  the  interest  of  the  Tampa  Bay  Hotel  alone,  fine 
as  it  is,  but  to  impart  information  and  to  convey  sug- 
gestions that  may  be  valuable  to  many  of  our  readers. 
By  no  means  fail  to  go  as  far  as  Tampa  if  you  visit 
Florida  in  this  tempestuous  winter." 

AT   TAMPA    BAY. 

"  Was  it  not  some  old  reportorial  ruse  played  upon 
the  credulity  of  the  ancients  that  made  the  story  of 
Aladdin's  wonderful  lamp  to  live  in  literature  and 
come  down  to  us  through  the  ages  to  make  us  listen 
with  open  ears,  gape  with  open  mouth,  and  wonder 
with  open  eyes  at  the  wonders  of  it — and  I  wonder 
if  that  ancient  reporter  could  prove  in  any  way  the 
foundation  of  his  story  of  the  lamp  and  the  rubbing 
of  it.  Aye,  there  's  the  rub — I  think  he  could  n't 
prove  it.  He  might  show  the  lamp,  but  no  palace 
would  rise  up  at  his  rubbing,  however  hard.  But, 
to-day,  the  vision  may  be  produced  and  the  palace 
reared,  and  yet  no  lamp  to  rub.  I  would  lead  to  a 
land  where  balmy  breezes  blow  and  sigh  among  the 
pines,  and  make  the  feathery  palm  trees  wave  as 
nodding  plumes.  Coming  out  from  under  these,  on  a 
nic'ht  when  the  moon  is  bright,  to  the  banks  of  a 
beautiful  river  with  banks  fringed  with  ferns,  look 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  193 

across  its  waters  where  the  moon  and  stars  are  re- 
flected and  so  many,  many  lights  that  are  on  the 
river's  other  shore,  there  the  palace  is,  a  brighter 
than  Aladdin's,  and  more  beautiful.  That 's  Tampa 
Bay.  That  your  coming  under  these  pines  and 
palms  may  be  in  a  palace  car,  produces  no  disil- 
lusion,— there 's  a  palace  at  Tampa  Bay. 

"  It  might  have  been,  in  the  long  centuries  agone, 
when  his  ship  floated  lazily  and  his  barges  glided 
noiselessly  over  the  waters  to  the  fern-fringed  banks 
of  Tampa's  river,  that  that  ancient  and  original  tour- 
ist, on  the  same  mission  bent  as  those  of  to-day,  in 
search  of  the  fount  of  pei'petual  youth,  might  have 
looked,  disheartened,  on  the  tangled  forest  and  heard 
the  moaning  of  the  winds  through  the  pines  that 
brought  no  tidings  of  a  land  of  life. 

"  I  wonder  if  in  his  dreams  that  night,  when  his 
ship  came  in  to  Tampa  Bay,  this  grand  old  Grandee 
was  back  in  his  castles  in  Spain,  and  sported 
in  fantastic  fandango  with  the  dark-browed  Seno- 
rita  of  fair  Castile.  Was  his  dream  a  prophetic 
vision  that  it  seemed  to  be  an  Alhambra  just  there 
under  the  lee  of  his  ship,  or  did  some  grander  palace 
with  Moorish  minarets  and  silvered  domes,  glisten- 
ing with  more  silvery  brightness  under  the  rays  of  a 
tropic  moon,  topped  with  golden  crescents  that  could 
only  come  from  the  Orient  to  ornament  its  towers 
high  above  the  pines,  seem  to  be  here  in  this  far-off 


194  The  Life  of 

land — a  dream  passing  all  realization.  And  what  a 
disappointing  awakening  awaited  this  ancient  cavalier 
who  sought  the  waters  that  would  make  him  young 
again,  for  when  the  morning  came,  and  the  sun  shone 
brightly,  the  knight  must  have  trod  the  deck  with 
restless  impatience ;  the  vision  of  last  night  carried 
him  back  to  lordly  Spain,  the  awakening  brought 
him  here  again,  and  only  a  lofty  pine  stood  in  the 
place  of  the  tallest  tower,  the  swaying  top  was  not  a 
silver  dome,  and  the  mournful  moaning  in  its  boughs 
fell  not  as  sweetly  on  his  ear  as  the  tinkling  tingle 
of  guitars  and  his  dream-made  mandolins.  And  I 
am  sure,  in  haste  he  left  a  spot  so  disappointing,  and 
perhaps  to  the  tune  of  'Over  the  Hills  and  Far 
Away,'  marched  to  find  the  great  Mississippi. 

"  I  say,  perhaps  old  De  Soto  dreamed  all  this  when 
he  landed  here  at  Tampa,  and  if  he  did,  behold  't  was 
prophecy — for  the  swaying  pines  have  toppled  and 
in  their  places  have  risen  higher  the  golden  crescents 
of  the  Orient,  and  the  silvered  domes  and  Moorish 
minarets  that  ornament  a  palace,  and  here  at  Tampa 
Bay  the  Spaniard's  dream  has  been  realized  two 
hundred  years  after. 

"  The  tourist  of  to-day  does  not  approach  from  the 
direction  of  his  illustrious  predecessor,  but  has  the 
decided  advantage,  whether  the  coming  be  by  night 
or  day.  If  by  day,  the  grandly  magnificent  picture 
comes  suddenly  upon  the  view  as  the  train  makes  a 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  195 

turn  and  stops  between  the  little  town  and  the  river. 
The  foreground  is  the  river,  the  middle  distance, 
green  sloping  lawns  dotted  with  flowers,  around 
whose  beds  are  winding  walks  that  circle  fountains 
and  lead  through  groves  of  palms  and  oranges  to  the 
pines  beyond,  the  same  great  pines  that  De  Soto 
walked  under  in  the  struggle  to  get  off  his  *  sea 
legs.'  In  the  brightness  of  a  semi-tropic  sun  the 
domes  and  crescents  glisten  intensely,  and  the  mas- 
sive pile  grows  to  immensity.  The  broad  galleries 
extend  all  along  the  front,  the  roof  commencing 
above  the  third-story  windows,  slopes  gently,  so  as 
not  to  obstruct  the  view,  and  at  its  outer  edge  drops 
in  huge  ornaments,  in  arched  and  hanging  pendants 
ending  in  brackets  at  every  column,  and  at  the  walls ; 
the  grateful  shade  inviting  as  on  a  summer's  day, 

''The  lawn,  carefully  kept  and  green  as  one  of 
Kentucky's  own,  has  a  miniature  fort  with  mounted 
cannon  and  a  flagstaff  that  floats  the  country's  colors 
by  day,  and  sports  a  crescent  of  electric  fire  at  night. 
The  fountains,  the  flowers,  and  tropic  fruits  growing 
here  as  if  't  was  their  natural  home,  serve  as  orna- 
ments. A  dainty  little  boat-house  at  the  bottom  of 
the  lawn  is  .headquarters  for  all  sorts  of  boats  for 
rowing  or  sailing,  as  well  as  for  naphtha  and  steam 
launches.  The  view  from  the  cars  comprises  all  this, 
as  also  from  the  bridge  that  spans  the  river  from  the 
hotel  to  the  town.     The  intending  guest  need  not 


196  The  Life  of 

leave  the  train  here ;  after  a  sliort  stop  it  will  cross 
the  river  and  come  right  to  the  galleries  of  the  west 
entrance  and  stop  under  the  shadow  of  the  great 
hotel  at  Tampa  Bay. 

"  If  in  the  ecstacy  of  a  first  impression  I  likened 
this  to  a  palace  of  Spain  that  Ponce  de  Leon  might 
have  dreamed  of,  I  had  no  retraction  to  make  when 
the  second  day  of  my  visit  came  and  I  saw  it  with 
modern  surroundings  of  railway  and  steamer — it  is  a 
palace  still,  and  more  of  that  than  the  hotel,  and  in 
its  appointments  more  like  a  gentleman's  residence 
on  a  scale  exaggerated  to  positive  magnificence — 
totally  unlike  any  other,  and  it  is  no  disparagement 
to  any  to  say  it  is  the  most  unique  in  the  world — I 
was  about  to  say  of  its  kind — it  has  no  kind  ;  there 
is  none  other  in  similarity  with  it,  and  taken  all  in 
all  is  the  finest  in  the  world. 

"  I  say  this  not  without  thought  of  what  it  means 
— the  Ponce  de  Leon  at  St.  Augustine  may  have  cost 
more  dollars  to  build,  decorate,  and  furnish,  and  the 
name  and  fame  of  the  Ponce  de  Leon  has  gone  to 
the  four  quarters,  and  'tis  not  intended  to  compare 
invidiously.  Here  at  Tampa  Bay,  the  surroundings 
take  one  back  through  the  centuries  even  before  De 
Soto  came,  and  this  may  have  been  the  very  spot 
where  he  landed. 

"  The  horseshoe  arches  of  the  Moorish  curve  are 
everywhere,  from  the  grand  galleries  to  the  rotunda 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  197 

doors,  in  the  salon  entrances  and  to  the  grand  ban- 
quet hall,  for  it  is  nothing  less,  and  every  minaret  is 
crescent  crested,  and  passing  under  them  leads  to 
some  old  picture,  antique,  or  cabinet  that  ornamented 
some  palace  hall  before  the  land  on  which  this  one 
stands  had  been  discovered, — and  herein  is  the  argu- 
ment that  this  is  the  only  one  in  the  world.  The 
others  boast  of  their  '  especially  made '  appointments, 
while  these  were  made  before  the  land  was  dis- 
covered. 

"  The  rotunda  is  a  grand  assembly  hall  with  its 
polished  floors,  rich  carpets  and  hangings,  antique 
vases  and  bric-a-brac,  divans  and  luxurious  lounges, 
as  little  like  a  hotel  office  as  the  '  east  room '  of  the 
White  House  is  like  a  railway  station.  The  apart- 
ment is  seventy-eight  feet  square  and  is  thirty  feet 
from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling.  The  massive  doors  are  of 
Spanish  mahogany,  highly  polished,  encasing  heavy 
plates  of  bevelled  glass,  the  frames  are  carved  in  de- 
signs of  great  beauty.  Thirteen  marble  columns 
support  a  balcony  that  looks  over  from  the  second 
floor,  around  which  is  a  carved  rail,  also  in  Spanish 
mahogany. 

"  The  Moorish  and  Spanish  styles  which  prevail 
in  the  architectural  work  do  not  always  obtain  in 
the  decorations  and  furnishings — the  divans  in  the 
rotunda  were  once  in  the  Tuileries  salons,  and  there 
is  an  original  portrait  in  oil  of  Louis  XIV.  of  France, 


198  The  Life  of 

also  a  clock  of  the  same  period.  The  paintings  are 
varied  in  design,  as  they  are  in  age  and  histoiy,  and 
every  one,  every  antique  and  cabinet,  has  its  history. 
On  one  wall  is  a  beautiful  canvas,  the  Return  from 
the  Masquerade,  on  another.  Wine,  Woman,  and  Song, 
these  suggest  the  gay  side  of  life,  while  some  of  the 
old  faded  examples  of  the  school  of  long  ago  carry 
one  back  to  the  old  masters.  Two  dwarfs  in  bronze 
that  suggest  the  Black  Forest  legends  guard  the  en- 
trance to  the  hall  of  the  grand  salon,  and  near  them 
are  two  Japanese  vases,  six  feet  high,  which  were 
exhibited  at  the  Vienna  exposition. 

"  Mirrors  in  antique  frames  rich  in  gilded  carvings 
are  on  the  walls,  massive  doors  in  bevelled  glass  lead 
to  parlors,  halls,  libraries,  and  writing  rooms,  elec- 
tric lights  are  imbedded  in  the  ceilings  and  walls, 
and  hang  down  in  chandeliers.  This  is  the  rotunda. 
The  business  office  occupies  the  smallest  corner,  as 
if  it  was  of  the  smallest  importance  in  a  hall  so  re- 
plete with  ornament  and  so  devoted  to  comfort  and 
luxury.  The  telegraph  and  ticket  offices  are  also 
in  the  rotunda,  and  everything  that  pertains  to  the 
more  prosaic  business  ideas — but  they  do  not  intrude 
upon  the  dreamy  existence  that  obtains  from  the 
antique  surroundings. 

"The  grand  parlor  is  magnificent.  Every  nook 
and  corner  has  some  dainty  bit  to  show  a  woman's 
hand  has  been  here,  and  in  all  the  grand  apartment 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  199 

shows  what  might  have  been  done  by  a  princess  in 
her  own  house.  It  was  a  woman's  design  that  this 
divan  should  have  growing  flowers  from  its  centre, 
and  between  the  seat-arms,  that  roses  and  calla-lilies 
should  mingle  their  perfume  where  beauty  holds 
sway.  Her  idea  that  this  cabinet,  three  hundred 
years  old,  should  be  brought  from  some  castle  in 
Seville  or  Salamanca  to  ornament  this  salon.  It  is  an 
exquisite  piece  with  inlaid  woods,  ebony,  pearl,  and 
ivory,  with  quaint  little  paintings  under  marvellously 
clear  glass  in  the  carved  panels.  The  bronzes,  gild- 
ings, and  inlaid  woods  of  the  cabinets  contrast  with 
the  white  and  gold  of  the  surrounding  decorations 
in  pleasing  effect.  The  white  and  gold  of  the  up- 
holstery and  the  hangings  have  their  beauty  en- 
hanced by  the  shaded  electric  lights  in  ground  glass, 
softly  tinted,  that  are  set  in  the  arched  dome  above; 
the  light  falls  on  these  cabinets,  tables  inlaid  in  a 
hundred  woods  and  pearl  and  ivory,  bric-a-brac  and 
candelabra  from  every  land.  Paintings  not  from 
this  shop  or  that,  but  from  the  old  masters  to  salon 
celebrities  of  modern  times.  One  is  a  portrait  of 
Marguerite  de  Valois  and  another  of  the  Due  de 
Savoy.  On  the  mantels  and  cabinets  are  some  beau- 
tiful, exquisitely  chased  ewers  and  drinking  cups  in 
silver,  and  busts  of  Elizabeth  of  England  and  Mary, 
Queen  of  Scots,  in  very  rare  silver  bronze. 

"There  is  marble  statuary  in  exquisite  designs 


200  The  Life  of 

from  the  chisels  of  the  best  sculptors — some  Sedan 
chairs  with  the  eagle  of  France  in  their  decorations. 

"  The  drawing-room  is  a  museum  of  beautiful 
things,  embracing  fine  contrasts,  rich  harmonies,  and 
pleasant  innovations  that  render  it  indeed  '  a  joy  for- 
ever.' Here,  there  is  an  inlaid  table  which  once 
graced  the  Tuileries,  as  did  also  three  ebony  and  gold 
cabinets.  On  the  table  is  a  rare  bit  of  sculpture, 
'The  Sleeping  Beauty,'  in  Carrara  marble.  There, 
are  a  sofa  and  two  chairs  that  were  owned  by  Marie 
Antoinette.  A  set  of  four  chairs  may  be  seen  that 
belonged  to  Louis  Philippe.  Then  there  are  numer- 
ous French  and  Japanese  cabinets,  and  above  each 
is  suspended  a  dazzling  crystal  mirror. 

"  There  are  eight  cabinets  of  antique  pattern  that 
have  been  brought  from  this  or  that  province  of  old 
Spain,  gathered  in  their  travels  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Plant,  and  not,  as  I  have  said,  ordered  from  this  fac- 
tory or  that,  in  the  ordinary  way  of  the  modern 
hostelrie. 

"  The  carpet — scarlet,  with  its  black  lions  ram- 
pant, made  in  France — is  a  replica  of  one  of  Louis 
XIV.,  and  covers  the  entire  floor  of  this  splendid 
salon,  in  which  are  chairs  of  gold  and  silk  and  plush 
of  the  same  era — as  there  are  also  tapestries  of  in- 
calculable values  and  richness  that  have  hung  in 
palaces  before  they  came  to  this  one.  The  writing 
and  reading  rooms  just  off  the  rotunda  are  furnished 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  201 

in  the  same  unique  manner — one  which  might  be 
called  '  the  Louis  XIV.  room '  has  all  its  decorations 
and  appointments  of  the  era  of  that  monarch ;  these 
are  replicas,  or  in  some  cases  originals. 

"  In  the  grand  chambers  the  style  is  not  less  regal  ; 
in  magnificence  these  surpass  anything  I  have  ever 
seen;  no  two  of  them  are  alike.  They  range  in 
size  from  the  grand  suite  of  complete  living  apart- 
ments with  parlors  and  libraries,  to  the  chamber  for 
two,  with  silken  hangings  of  gros-grain  watered  silk, 
in  white  and  delicate  rose  color  ;  a  canopied  dressing- 
case,  as  dainty  as  the  bride  who  may  stand  before  it 
to  attire  her  pretty  self  for  the  grand  halls  outside 
her  door.  The  guest  rooms  on  the  floors  above  have 
every  convenience  known  to  modern  inventive 
genius,  including  telephone  connection  with  the 
office  and  through  a  '■  central '  to  every  other  room 
in  the  house.  A  grand  hall-way  extends  from  south 
to  north  seven  hundred  feet,  passing  through  the 
rotunda.  Just  south  of  the  rotunda  is  the  grand 
staircase,  with  its  life-size  bronzes,  holding  groups 
of  electric  lights,  and  near  by  are  the  elevators  to 
the  upper  floors.  The  north  hall  passes  from  the 
rotunda  by  the  grand  parlors  to  the  gracefully 
rounding  curve  of  the  solarium  till  it  ends,  where 
shall  I  say  it  ends  ? — in  modern  parlance  at  the  din- 
ing-hall,  but  what  might  be  the  banquet-room  of  a 
Moorish  king,  with  its  lofty  dome  and  arches  that 
rest  on  fluted  pillars. 


202  The  Life  of 

"  There  is  no  more  striking  feature  than  the  table 
porcelain.  These  are  exquisite  works  of  ceramic  art. 
The  plates  are  of  infinite  variety.  You  may  have 
your  beef  on  a  very  charming  bit  of  French  porce- 
lain, your  salad  on  a  reproduction  of  an  old  Vienna 
plate  of  semi-Saracenic  pattern,  your  ice  on  one  of 
the  little  plates  designed  by  Moritz  Fischer  and 
copied  elsewhere,  your  coffee  in  a  very  perfect  repe- 
tition of  one  of  AVedgewood's  simple  and  lovely  bor- 
dered cups.  In  fact,  there  is  no  end  to  the  variety 
of  these  lovely  porcelains.  And  just  here  I  may 
add  that  the  cooking  and  the  service  are  unexcep- 
tional. The  table  is  of  the  very  best  class  and  equal 
to  that  of  any  hotel  in  the  world. 

"  The  room  may  not  be  faithfully  described  in  its 
frescoes  and  its  lights  and  pictures,  any  more  than  I 
could  satiate  your  appetite  by  copying  the  menu 
here — it  can't  be  done. 

"  Just  at  the  end  of  this  hall  and  very  near  the  en- 
trance to  the  dining-room  is  a  grand  orchestrion, 
which,  with  interchangeable  rollers,  plays  the  latest 
music,  from  the  popular  airs  of  the  day  to  the  classic 
productions  of  the  great  composers. 

"  Just  off  the  rotunda  is  the  music-room  with  its 
waxed  floor  for  terpsichorean  uses.  There  is  a  per- 
fect stage  suitable  for  concert,  lecture,  or  tableau, 
there  are  foot-lights,  and  overhead,  the  electric  fire 
gleams  in  a  star  and  crescent  group.     The  room  is 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  203 

circular  in  form  with  broad  galleries  extending  around 
it,  so  the  company  may  sit  in  tlie  open  air  and  listen 
to  the  music  or  look  in  upon  the  dancers.  These 
broad  galleries  extend  on  the  west  and  east  side, 
forming  a  grand  promenade  for  the  gay  company 
such  a  place  attracts. 

"  The  interior  scenes  under  the  brilliant  glow  of 
the  lights  is  entertaining,  but  I  remember  in  more 
dreamy  way  a  stroll  by  moonlight,  down  by  the 
river  under  the  palmettos.  The  moon  shone  bright 
and  made  a  wide  silver  ribbon  far  up  the  broad 
river  and  across  it,  and  here  came  to  me  the  idea  of 
Ponce  de  Leon's  dream. 

"The  arched  and  towered  facade,  the  silvered 
dome,  again  silvered  by  the  moon's  rays,  lifted  up 
more  brightly  against  the  star-lit  sky,  the  crescented 
minarets,  the  electric-fired  crescent  on  the  color-staff, 
the  lights  from  a  hundred  windows,  the  soft  patter 
of  the  water  in  the  fountains  falling  on  the  lily-pads, 
the  perfume  of  the  flowers,  the  splash  of  an  oar  and 
the  half  murmur  of  a  love  song  from  him  who 
splashed  the  oar.  Think  you  this  is  not  an  Alham- 
bric  picture  ?  Then  you  have  not  read  of  the 
Alhambra  nor  seen  Tampa  Bay." 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Programme  of  Plant  Day  Ceremonies— Ringing  of  the  Liberty  Bell- 
Presentation  of  Addresses  to  Mr.  Plant  in  the  great  Auditorium— 
His  Reply — Resolutions  from  the  Different  Departments  of  the 
System,  from  the  Savannah  Board  of  Trade,  etc. — Mr.  Morton 
F.  Plant's  Acknowledgments. 

KNOWING  that  all  employees  would  be  unable 
to  attend  the  celebration  in  Atlanta,  President 
Plant  requested  the  superintendents  of  the  railways, 
steamship,  and  express  interests  to  allow  such  men 
as  could  be  spared  from  duty  without  detriment  to 
the  operative  departments  to  be  present,  and  also 
requested  that  special  train  service  should  be  pro- 
vided for  their  accommodation.  This  request  of  the 
president  was  so  heartily  carried  out  by  the  super- 
intendents, and  so  willingly  accepted  by  the  employ- 
ees, that  three  special  trains  of  the  Plant  System, 
carrying  several  thousand  employees,  rolled  into  the 
Union  Depot  in  Atlanta  at  an  early  hour  Monday 
morning,  October  28th.  In  order  that  all  might  be 
fully  informed  of  the  movements  of  their  worthy 
president,  and  of  the  programme  of  the  day,  the  fol- 
lowing notice  was  published  in  the  Atlanta  Consti- 
tution of  October  28,  1895  : 

204 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  205 

"  Mr.  Plant  will  call  on  Governor  Atkinson  at  10 
o'clock  this  morning. 

"He  will  be  at  the  Exposition  grounds  at  12 
o'clock,  when  the  Columbian  bell  will  ring  for  the 
first  time,  in  his  honor. 

"  At  1  o'clock  all  the  employees  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem will  assemble  at  the  Auditorium  on  the  grounds, 
at  which  time  addresses  will  be  delivered  by  Presi- 
dent Collier,  on  behalf  of  the  Exposition  Company, 
and  Mayor  King,  on  behalf  of  the  city  of  Atlanta. 
Mr.  Plant  will  respond  to  these  addresses. 

"  Music  will  be  furnished  by  Innes's  band,  and, 
after  Mr.  Plant's  speech,  resolutions,  congratulatory 
and  otherwise,  will  be  read  on  behalf  of  the  employ- 
ees of  the  system  and  commercial  bodies. 

"  At  3  P.M.  Mr.  Plant  will  be  at  the  Plant  System 
Building,  which  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  on 
the  grounds.  He  will  spend  some  time  making  a 
close  inspection  of  the  exhibit  that  has  been  placed 
there  and  which  has  attracted  such  attention  all  the 
while  from  visitors  to  the  great  fair. 

"  At  8  o'clock  this  evening  a  banquet  will  be  ten- 
dered Mr.  Plant  at  the  Aragon." 

Mr.  Plant  placed  himself  in  the  hands  of  his  friends 
for  the  day,  and  carried  out  to  the  letter  the  pro- 
gramme as  above  set  forth,  in  order  that  he  might 
have  opportunity  of  meeting  the  employees  at  the 
Exposition.    Such  of  us  who  had  the  pleasure  of  being 


206  The  Life  of 

present  and  of  personally  congratulating  the  gentle- 
man will  be  pleased,  no  doubt,  to  read  the  following 
account  of  the  day's  proceedings,  and  to  those  who 
were  less  fortunate  it  will  be  interesting  to  hear 
what  the  Atlanta  Constitution,  of  the  29th  of  Octo- 
ber, had  to  say  of  "  Plant  System  Day  at  the  Ex- 
position." 

"  Eloquent  indeed  was  the  demonstration  of  affec- 
tion and  loyalty  by  the  employees  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem to  their  great  chieftain,  Henry  B.  Plant,  yester- 
day at  the  celebration  of  Plant  System  Day  at  the 
Exposition. 

"  Never  was  there  such  an  ovation  to  any  living 
railroad  magnate  in  the  Southern  States.  The  day 
was  beautiful  and  bright  and  most  auspicious,  and 
the  exercises  in  the  auditorium  at  the  Exposition 
grounds  were  profoundly  interesting  and  impressive. 

"  Early  in  the  morning  Mr.  Plant  was  driven  to 
the  Exposition  grounds  in  a  carriage,  the  rest  of  his 
party  accompanying  him  in  other  carriages.  They 
drove  through  the  grounds,  and  at  12  o'clock  sharp 
they  stopped  at  the  Columbian  bell,  near  the  Forestry 
Building,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  programme  as 
arranged,  the  bell  was  rung  many  times  over  in  honor 
of  the  great  railroader.  The  bell  was  rung  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Plant,  assisted  by  Mrs.  Wood,  Mrs. 
B.  W.  Wrenn,  Major  O'Brien,  and  Mrs.  Tilley. 

"  Those  present  at  the  ringing  of  the  bell  were : 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  207 

Mrs.  H.  B.  Plant,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Wood,  Mrs.  B.  W. 
Wrenn,  Mrs.  George  H.  Tilley,  Mrs.  Porter  King, 
Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  Mr.  P.  G.  Erwiu,  Mr.  M.  F.  Plant, 
Dr.  G.  H.  Smytbe,  Mr.  G.  H.  Tilley,  Major  M.  J. 
O'Brien,  and  Col.  B.  W.  Wrenn. 

"  The  party  then  drove  through  the  grounds,  and 
after  a  brief  glimpse  of  the  splendid  Exposition  from 
the  carriages  while  passing,  they  went  to  the  Audi- 
torium, where  the  regular  programme  of  the  day  was 
to  be  carried  out. 

^'  Long  before  they  arrived  at  the  auditorium  the 
hall  was  fairly  packed  with  the  employees  of  the 
Plant  System  of  Railroads  and  of  the  Southern  Ex- 
press Company,  of  which  Mr.  Plant  is  president. 
The  distinguished  party,  consisting  of  Mr.  Plant  and 
his  family  and  a  number  of  friends,  arrived  at  the 
eastern  side  of  the  auditorium  and  entered  the  vast 
hall  through  the  doorway  to  the  stage. 

"  At  tho  first  sight  of  them  the  vast  multitude  of 
people  within  gave  a  round  of  applause  which  lasted 
for  a  long  time,  and  which  was  a  becoming  greeting 
from  the  several  thousands  of  Mr.  Plant's  employees 
to  him  at  such  a  season. 

"  When  Mr.  Plant  and  his  companions  were  seated 
on  the  stage,  the  applause  ceased  and  order  was  re- 
stored in  the  hall.  On  the  platform,  Mrs.  H.  B. 
Plant  was  seated  on  the  left  of  Mr.  Plant.  There 
were  also  there  Mrs.  W.  G.  Wood,  Mrs.  G.  H.  Tilley, 


208  The  Life  of 

Mrs.  B.  W.  Wrenn,  Mr.  M.  F.  Plant,  Mr.  R  G.  Erwin, 
Mr.  M.  J.  O'Brien,  Mr.  S.  G.  McLendon,  Mr.  G.  H. 
Tilley,  Mr.  A.  A.  Wiley,  Mayor  Porter  King,  Vice- 
President  W.  A.  Hemphill,  of  the  Exposition  Com- 
pany; Mr.  W.  F.  Vandiver,  Mr.  Fleming  G.  du 
Bignon,  Mr.  W.  C.  Bibb,  Judge  Robert  Falligant, 
Hon.  W.  B.  Thompson,  formerly  Second  Assistant 
Postmaster-General ;  Hon.  W.  H,  Brawley,  U.  S.  Dis- 
trict Judge ;  Mr.  F.  Q.  Brown,  Mr.  G.  W.  Adair,  and 
others. 

"  After  music  by  the  Innes  Band,  Vice-President 
W.  A.  Hemphill,  of  the  Exposition  Company,  act- 
ing as  president  in  the  absence  of  President  Charles 
Collier,  arose  and  addressed  the  vast  audience  on 
behalf  of  the  Exposition  Company,  bidding  them  a 
cordial  welcome  to  the  fair. 

"  Mr.  Hemphill  said  : 

" '  Mr.  President,  Ladies,  and  Gentlemen : — I  have 
no  doubt  that  the  welcome  that  Mr.  Collier  was  to 
have  given  you  to-day  would  have  been  the  most 
pleasant  duty  he  would  have  had  to  perform  since 
the  opening  of  the  Exposition,  but  he  was  suddenly 
called  away,  and  wired  me  to  welcome  you. 

" '  This  is  an  hour  of  thanks  and  congratulations. 
The  Board  thanks  you  for  the  interest  you  have 
taken  in  our  Exposition.  We  thank  you  for  the 
magnificent  exhibit  of  the  resources  along  your  line 
that  you  have  made  at  our  Exposition,  and  for  the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  209 

competent  people  you  have  placed  in  charge  of  it. 
We  thank  you  for  your  presence  here  to-day,  and 
we  are  highly  honored  that  so  many  distinguished 
people  are  here  with  us. 

" '  Mr.  President,  we  congratulate  you  upon  the 
magnificent  system  of  railroads  and  steamships  that 
you  have  builded  up.  Your  life  and  example  have 
been  a  great  thing  for  the  young  men  of  this  country 
to  profit  by  [applause],  showing  them  what  it  is 
possible  for  them  to  attain.  We  congratulate  you, 
sir,  upon  your  birthday,  and  we  wish  that  you  may 
live  to  observe  many  happy  birthdays  and  that  each 
one  may  be  brighter  than  the  one  preceding  it. 
[Applause.] 

" '  What  an  opportunity  this  Exposition  has  given 
to  the  States  of  this  section  !  The  State  that  has 
neglected  to  be  represented  here  has  missed  the 
opportunity  of  its  history.  I  am  glad,  sir,  from  your 
side,  that  Florida  is  represented  here.  Her  grand 
resources  of  factory,  of  mines,  of  forest,  of  rivers, 
her  fruits  and  flowers,  are  here  to  show  our  visiting 
friends  from  the  North  what  a  great  country  Florida 
is.     [Applause.] 

" '  We  thank  you,  sir,  for  being  such  a  friend  to 
the  South.  You  have  spent  more  money  and  devel- 
oped more  territory  in  this  section  than  any  other 
man  in  the  Union.  [Great  applause.]  We  thank 
you  and  honor  you  for  it,  and  we  hope  you  will  live 


210  The  Life  of 

to  see  the  day  when  your  raih-oad  lines  will  extend 
all  over  this  country  [applause]  ;  when  your  steam- 
ships will  plow  the  Atlantic  Ocean  and  reach  the 
ports  of  Europe.  We  hope,  sir,  that  you  will  live 
to  see  the  building  of  the  Nicaragua  Canal ;  when 
your  steamships  shall  go  through  that  canal,  and, 
crossing  the  Pacific  Ocean,  reach  the  ports  of  China, 
Japan,  and  Australia — all  these  lines  pouring  immi- 
gration and  wealth  into  this  section,  making  it  the 
most  powerful,  most  populous  and  richest  section  of 
this  Union,  and  your  System  the  greatest  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth.     [Continued  applause.] 

"  *  I  now  have  the  honor  and  pleasure  of  introduc- 
ing to  you  Mayor  King,  who  will  welcome  you  for 
the  city  of  Atlanta.' " 

"  Mayor  Poi'ter  King  was  greeted  with  apj^lause 
and  spoke  as  follows  : 

" '  Mr.  President,  Ladies,  and  Gentlemen  : — On  the 
part  of  the  city  of  Atlanta  it  is  to  me  a  matter  of 
peculiar  pleasure  and  pride  to  welcome  in  our  midst 
that  broad-minded,  grand,  glorious,  golden-hearted 
gentleman  and  the  splendid  men  who  come  with 
him.     [Great  cheering  and  applause.] 

" '  I  but  re-echo  the  sentiment  so  beautifully  ex- 
pressed by  Colonel  Hemphill,  who  preceded  me, 
that  if  Georgia,  the  South,  and  Atlanta  owe  aught 
to  any  man,  it  ow^es  as  much  to  Colonel  Plant  as  to 
any  one  whose  name  I  could  call.     I  speak  a  truth 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  211 

which  is  perhaps  not  generally  known,  so  modest  is 
this  gentleman,  that  to-day  he  is  one  of  the  largest 
real  estate  owners  in  the  city  of  Atlanta.  [Ap- 
plause.] AVe  think  in  that,  he  has  shown  the 
wisdom  of  his  judgment. 

"  '  I  honor  the  head  of  this  great  System  because 
of  the  policy  that  he  has  pursued — to  build  up  him- 
self, not  by  pulling  down  another,  but  by  carrying 
others  up  with  him.  [Applause  and  cheers.]  And 
not  alone  to  him,  but  to  this  vast  army  of  employees, 
who  are  themselves  but  representatives  of  the  mag- 
nificent System  of  which  he  is  at  the  head,  I  extend  a 
cordial  welcome.  [Applause.]  I  am  sure  it  is  not 
in  his  heart  to  detract  one  bit  from  any  progress,  or 
any  forward  movement  of  the  very  lowest  employee 
connected  with  his  whole  System.  [Applause  and 
cheers.]  Rather  than  to  grow  up  that  way,  I 
believe  he  would  rather  see  his  whole  System 
wrecked. 

" '  We  thank  you  for  your  presence  here  to-day. 
We  thank  you  for  the  manificent  exhibit  which  your 
System  has  placed  upon  these  grounds.  To  you, 
one  and  all,  Mr.  President  and  gentlemen,  we  bid  you 
welcome  to  Atlanta ;  all  that  she  has  is  yours.  We 
gladly  turn  it  over  to  you.' "  [Great  and  continued 
applause  and  cheering.] 

"  Colonel  Hemphill  proposed  three  cheers  for 
President  Plant.     The  cheers  were  given. 


212  The  Life  of 

"  Here  the  Innes  Band  gave  a  splendid  rendition 
of  the  popular  medley,  '  Plantation  Echoes,'  includ- 
ing '  Way  Down  Upon  the  Suwanee  River,'  which 
was  loudly  cheered. 

"  Mr.  Plant's  Address  was  as  follows : 

"  '  Mr.  President  of  the  Cotton  States  and  Interna- 
tional Exposition  Company,  and  the  Honorable 
Mayor  of  the  city  of  Atlanta  : — In  behalf  of  my  as- 
sociates and  employees  of  the  Plant  System,  and 
friends,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  whom  I  see  around  me 
and  before  me,  I  scarcely  know  how  to  thank  you 
for  this  glorious  welcome,  this  grand  reception.  I 
can  but  say  that  we  are  here  to  witness  a  very 
magnificent  Exposition,  quite  beyond  any  conception 
of  mine,  and,  I  believe,  of  any  of  the  gentlemen  who 
have  come  here  with  me  to-day,  to  examine  and  make 
a  study  of  this  monument  to  the  enterprise  and 
energies  of  the  good  people  of  the  city  of  Atlanta 
and  of  the  State  of  Georgia. 

"  '  When  I  was  called  upon  in  Jacksonville,  Florida, 
in  December,  1894,  by  a  committee  of  gentlemen  of 
the  Exposition  Company,  and  requested  by  them 
to  make  an  exhibit  here  of  interesting  products  from 
the  country  bordering  our  lines  of  roads  in  South 
Carolina,  Georgia,  Alabama,  and  Florida,  the  four 
States  that  our  rail  lines  traverse,  I  was  backward 
to  do  so,  for  the  reason  that  I  feared  we  had  nothing 
that  would  do  credit  to  our  line,  our  interests  and 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  213 

our  patrons ;  and  had  I  known,  sir,  of  the  extent 
and  the  grandeur  of  this  Exposition,  I  believe  that  I 
should  have  continued  to  hesitate. 

"  '  It  has  been  some  years  since  I  have  visited 
Atlanta,  and  I  was  hardly  prepared  to  see  the 
growth,  the  tremendous  growth,  that  I  find  has 
occurred  in  my  absence.  I  see  you  are  rapidly  going 
forward  ;  that  you  are  becoming  a  metropolis.  You 
represent,  sir,  the  capital  of  one  of  the  greatest 
States  of  the  Union — the  Empire  State  of  the  South. 
[Applause  and  cheers.] 

" '  You  never  need  be  backward  to  represent 
Atlanta ;  it  appears  to  me  that  within  a  very  short 
time,  without  saying  anything  to  the  detriment  of 
any  of  the  other  cities  in  this  country,  that  it  will 
be  called  The  City  of  the  South.  [Applause.] 
Other  cities  may  advance,  and  do  advance  ;  many 
cities  and  many  communities  in  the  South  advance 
rapidly ;  they  advance  in  population  and  in  wealth, 
but,  sir,  nothing  have  I  seen  in  many  years  to  admire 
like  your  city  of  Atlanta. 

" '  I  hardly  know  what  language  to  use  that  will 
fittingly  present  to  you,  sir,  and  to  my  audience,  the 
opinions  I  hold  in  regard  to  this  great  Exposition. 
It  is  a  surprise,  it  is  a  marvel,  it  is  to  me  wonderful, 
and,  sir,  it  proves  what  can  be  done  by  people  acting 
in  unison,  united  in  their  enterprise,  united  in  their 
progress  and  their  desires  to  benefit  their  people  and 


214  The  Life  oi 

their  country,  and  united  through  their  capital. 
Without  this  unity,  and  without  the  other  qualifica- 
tions that  have  made  the  representative  men  of 
Atlanta  and  of  this  Exposition  what  they  are,  this 
Exposition  could  never  have  been  what  it  is.  It 
is  a  visible  proof  of  the  importance  of  united 
action ;  it  shows  what  may  be  accomplished  through 
union.  Without  union  none  of  us  would  be  what 
we  are  to-day, 

" '  To  my  friends  and  associates,  and  to  the  officers 
and  employees  of  the  Plant  System  I  desire  to  ex- 
press my  thanks  for  the  numbers  they  show  here  to- 
day. I  commend  you  all  for  your  good  judgment 
in  embracing  this  opportunity  afforded  by  the  Cotton 
States  and  International  Exposition  Company,  to 
come  here  and  witness  this  great  work  that  has  been 
going  on  almost  without  our  knowledge.  We  have 
all  read  in  the  newspapers  about  the  Cotton  States 
and  International  Exposition,  but  I  believe  that  very 
few  of  us  had  any  idea  what  we  were  to  see  and  to 
meet  here  to-day.  But  we  are  here,  most  of  us  only 
for  the  day,  and  I  hope  that  we  will  earnestly  avail 
ourselves  of  all  the  time  possible,  not  only  for  the 
gratification  of  our  curiosity,  but  for  our  further 
education  as  well.  Everything  we  see  should  be 
made  useful  to  us  ;  it  is  such  an  opportunity  as  some 
of  us  may  never  have  again,  and  I  therefore  say  to 
you   all — while  you   are   in    Atlanta,  emulate   my 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  215 

example,  and  make  this  Exposition  a  study.  [Cheers 
and  applause.] 

"  '  As  I  said  before,  I  am  pleased  to  see  such  a 
large  representation  here.  It  is  very  gratifying  to 
me.  It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  so  many  could 
be  spared  from  their  duties  without  disadvantage  to 
the  public  whom  we  serve.  You  all  know  the  gen- 
eral principles  that  have  influenced  us  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Plant  System.  It  was  to  prepare  the 
way  to  make  as  good  means  of  communication  as 
possible  with  the  resources  we  had  at  hand.  We 
have  used  of  our  means  freely  ;  not  only  myself,  but 
my  associates  have  not  been  sparing  in  this  partic- 
ular. We  have  expended  capital  and  energy  in  the 
hope  of  some  day  reaping  a  benefit,  which  is  proper. 
As  you  know,  all  men  seek  to  benefit  themselves ; 
but  there  has  been  behind  it,  as  the  President  of 
this  great  Exposition  and  the  Honorable  Mayor 
have  to-day  stated,  a  desire  to  do  good  to  our  fellow- 
man.  [Applause.]  We  have  at  least  been  able  to 
furnish  good  means  of  transportation,  and  I  am 
pleased  to  say  that  it  is  appreciated  by  our  patrons. 
I  would,  however,  have  you  recollect  that  we  are 
the  servants  of  the  people,  who  are  our  patrons,  to 
tlie  extent  that  we  must  treat  their  property,  while 
in  our  possession,  with  all  the  care  we  would  our 
own.  We  must  be  careful  in  our  manners  and  our 
speech ;  we  must  see  to  it  that  no  patron  of  the 


216  The  Life  of 

Plant  System  ever  comes  to  an  officer  or  employee 
for  information  without  getting  it  to  the  fullest. 
[Applause.] 

"  '  We  must  also  see  that  our  connecting  lines  of 
railways  receive  proper  treatment  from  us.  Be  sure 
that  we  cannot  well  serve  the  public  unless  we  treat 
our  allied  lines  fairly,  justly,  and  properly  ;  be  sure 
of  this.  Be  sure  that  we  are  not  all  for  ourselves. 
AVe  are  public  servants,  and  we  must  serve  all  well, 
and  always  recognize  the  rights  of  our  patrons.  We 
must  never  take  a  customer's  money  without  giving 
him  his  money's  worth.  All  this  is  very  easy  to  say, 
but  it  is  very  difficult  for  human  nature  to  carry  it 
out,  and  we  must,  therefore,  school  ourselves  in  the 
effort  to  learn  how  best  to  serve  our  patrons,  and  at 
the  same  time  be  just  to  ourselves. 

" '  How  are  the  railroads  built  ?  Where  does  the 
money  come  from  that  constructs  and  maintains 
them?  It  is  through  the  union  of  men,  and  the 
combination  of  means  and  labor.  This  is  how  it  is 
accomplished.  [Applause.]  There  can  be  but  little 
success  in  any  effort  to  accomplish  good,  in  this  age, 
without  union.  This  Exposition  could  not  have 
been  created  and  carried  on,  could  not  have  presented 
the  grandeur  it  does  now,  except  through  the  combi- 
nation of  capital  and  the  energy  of  men  of  enterprise. 
Look  at  the  States  that  are  represented  here.  We 
see  not  only  many  of  the  States  of  the  United  States, 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  217 

but  also  many  foreign  States  as  well.  I  find  the 
Central  American  Republics  are  represented  here; 
those  unions  that  are  dependent  u^^on  the  voice  of 
the  people  for  their  government  are  here.  They  are 
getting  in  line  with  us.  They  are  here  to  co-operate 
with  us  of  the  South  in  this  great  work.  Even  our 
United  States  Government  has  made  a  large  appro- 
priation, and  has  sent  down  many  of  its  people  and 
many  of  its  products  to  illustrate  itself  and  its  peo- 
ple. It  is  through  union  that  success  is  attained. 
Look  over  this  city  to-day,  I  suppose  it  is  so  every 
day,  we  see  floating  from  the  house-tops,  from  the 
towers,  and  from  theflagstaves,  that  emblem  of  Union, 
the  Star  Spangled  Banner  !  [Great  applause.]  Long 
may  it  wave  over  us  [applause],  and  we  be  fit  and 
proper  citizens  to  represent  it  in  this  "  Land  of  the 
free  and  the  home  of  the  brave  !  " '  [Long  contin- 
ued applause.] 

" '  We  are  going  to  have  some  resolutions  read,' 
said  Mr.  Hemphill,  'and,  Mr.  President,  I  wish  you 
would  commission  me  a  brakeman  in  order  that  I 
may  vote  with  the  boys.' 

"  '  I  do,'  said  Mr.  Plant. 

"  In  presenting  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Com- 
mercial and  Industrial  Association  of  Montgomery, 
Alabama,  Mr.  W.  C.  Bibb,  Jr.,  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  convey  them  to  Mr.  Plant,  said : 

"  *  Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies,  and  Gentlemen ;  Among 


218  The  Life  of 

the  ancieut  Greeks  and  Romans  the  laurel  was  thesym- 
bol  of  triumph ;  the  laurel  wreath  was  second  only 
to  a  kingly  crown.  Shafts  of  stone  and  marble  and 
statues  of  bronze  commemorated  the  deeds  of  demi- 
gods, kings,  and  conquering  heroes.  History  teems 
with  names  and  deeds  of  men  who  carved  out  a  niche 
in  the  Temple  of  Fame  with  a  bloody  sword.  To  raze 
a  fair  city,  invade,  overwhelm,  and  destroy  a  smiling 
land,  hew  down  and  slaughter  its  inhabitants,  or  drag 
them  in  chains  to  slavery,  were  the  only  deeds  by 
which  Fame  might  be  won, 

" '  In  this  fair  land  and  enlightened  age,  he  who 
makes  two  blades  of  grass  to  grow  where  was  one 
before ;  who  links  new  cities  with  the  old  by  shining 
bands  of  steel ;  who  masters  the  sea  and  brings  the 
forces  of  nature  subservient  to  the  will,  the  comfort, 
and  the  uses  of  his  fellow-man ;  who  builds  up,  de- 
velops, and  makes  the  laud  to  abound  in  plenty,  while 
thousands  of  happy  men  and  women  rise  up  and  call 
him  blessed — he  it  is  for  whom  the  laurel  blooms,  he 
it  is  who  has  builded  for  himself  a  monument  more 
enduring  than  brass  and  more  lasting  than  marble. 
We  are  gathered  here  to  celebrate  the  natal  day  of 
such  a  man. 

" '  Sir,  it  is  the  pleasure  of  this  committee,  in  behalf 
of  the  Commercial  and  Industrial  Association,  of  the 
people  of  Montgomery,  and  of  Alabama,  to  read  in 
the  presence  of  this  audience  and  to  present  to  you 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  219 

the  resolutions  I  have  in  my  hands,  and  to  wish  for 
you  many  happy  returns  of  your  birthday. 

"'  Whekeas,  The  28th  day  of  October,  1895,  has 
been  set  apart  by  the  Cotton  States  and  Interna- 
tional Exposition  Company,  of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  to 
do  honor  to  H.  B.  Plant,  the  genius  and  controlling 
spirit  of  the  two  great  Southern  enterprises  —  the 
Southern  Express  Company  and  the  Plant  Invest- 
ment Company  ;  and 

"  '  Whereas,  We  deem  the  time  and  occasion  fit 
and  opportune  to  unite  with  other  Southerners  in 
paying  homage  to  one  so  richly  endowed  with  merit 
and  worth,  yet  so  unpretentious ;  so  eminently  suc- 
cessful, yet  unassuming ;  who  has,  by  his  latest 
achievement  on  land  and  sea,  given  to  the  three 
States  of  Alabama,  Georgia,  and  Florida  a  system  of 
railroads,  steamships,  and  palatial  hotels  in  the 
interest  of  commerce,  travel,  and  internal  develop- 
ment unsurpassed  in  the  civilized  world.  Therefore, 
be  it 

"  '  Resolved^  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Com- 
mercial and  Industrial  Association  of  the  City  of 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  by  unanimous  rising  vote, 
do  most  heartily  congratulate  Mr.  Plant  upon  his 
continued  health  and  prosperity  upon  this  his  birth- 
day; that  we  convey  to  him  by  these  resolutions 
tidings  that  his  name  and  fame  are  dear  to  us  and 
to  all  Alabamians. 


220  The  Life  of 

" '  Mesolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be 
forwarded  to  Atlanta,  Georgia,  to  be  publicly  read 
and  presented  to  Mr.  Plant  on  October  28,  1895.' 
[Applause  and  cheers.] 

"  Colonel  Hemphill : — '  I  move  these  resolutions  be 
adopted  by  a  rising  vote.  All  in  favor  of  the  re- 
resolutions  will  stand.'     All  present  responded. 

''On  behalf  of  the  Savannah  Board  of  Trade, 
Judge  Robert  Falligant  spoke  as  follows : 

" '  Mr.  Chairman :  I  was  spending  with  my 
family  a  season  of  quiet  and  rest  amid  the  mountains 
of  Georgia  when  we  got  news  of  this  auspicious  oc- 
casion. In  former  years  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
serving  under  the  great  leader  whose  birthday  we 
celebrate  to-day,  and  I  could  not  resist  the  temp- 
tation of  being  present  and  adding  my  voice  to  the 
universal  acclaim,  not  only  of  Georgia,  but  of  all 
Southern  States.  As  I  came  in,  these  resolutions 
were  presented  to  me  to  read  and  I  was  requested 
to  make  a  few  preliminary  remarks.  I  really  don't 
know  what  I  can  say  on  this  occasion  so  replete 
with  force  and  eloquence,  both  in  speech  and  re- 
solutions, but  my  heart  is  impelled  to  say  something 
in  this  magnificent  presence.  I  feel  that  not  only 
Georgia  is  here,  but  the  entire  South  and  the  entire 
country.     [Applause.] 

"T  am  proud  to  see  that  Atlanta  has  touched  the 
high -water  mark  of  civilization  in  this  illustrious 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  221 

display.  I  feel  proud  as  a  Georgian,  and,  as  the 
representative  of  Savannah,  I  bid  her  godspeed  in 
the  magnificent  tide  of  prosperity  that  awaits  her. 
"VVe  have  no  envious  feeling  upon  the  coast,  but 
trust  that  her  future  may  be  as  limitless  and  as 
beautiful  as  the  grand  ocean  that  expands  beyond 
her  borders,  the  image  of  infinity. 

"  *■  I  say  this  is  an  occasion  for  patriotic  emotions, 
and  we  should  all  unite  in  doing  honor  to  the  citizen 
who  has  devoted  himself  to  the  public  good.  Let 
us  honor  the  man  who  plants  his  high  purposes  in 
his  native  land,  who  knows  no  South,  no  East,  no 
West,  no  North,  but  is  an  American,  heart  and 
soul.'     [Great  and  continued  applause  and  cheering.] 

"  Then  the  following  was  read  : 

"'Atlanta,  Georgia,  October  28,  1895. 

"'Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  Atlanta,  Ga.— My  dear 
Sir : — On  behalf  of  the  Savannah  Board  of  Trade 
I  congratulate  you  most  heartily  upon  this  auspicious 
occasion  of  your  seventy-sixth  birthday.  You  have, 
in  the  providence  of  infinite  power,  been  permitted 
to  dwell  among  your  fellows  beyond  the  allotted  pe- 
riod of  man,  and  it  has  also  been  your  most  favored 
privilege  in  that  period  to  bring  to  completion 
undertakings  of  vast  magnitude  for  the  uplifting  of 
the  South  especially,  and  for  the  whole  country  in 
general,  which  will  stand  a  monument  to  your  fore 


222  The  Life  of 

sight,  zeal  and  patriotic  devotion  to  our  common 
country  long  after  the  shaft  or  statues  of  marble  or 
bronze  have  lost  their  significance  as  finger  posts 
pointing  to  martial  renown  or  the  triumph  of  the 
forum.  For  your  works,  engraven  upon  the  hearts 
of  your  generation  with  the  stylus  of  commercial 
probity,  will  always  be  recalled  with  pleasant 
memory  because  free  from  the  painful  associations 
of  sanguinary  fields  or  the  bitter  words  of  fierce 
debates.  May  the  mighty  God,  in  His  providence, 
as  He  spares  you  for  the  years  to  come,  continue  to 
bless  you  with  bodily  strength  to  pursue  your 
active  career  of  usefulness,  until  your  eyes  can  look 
upon  the  full  fruition  of  the  great  works  in  the 
interests  of  commei-ce,  with  which  your  name  will 
ever  be  inseparably  associated  in  fruitful  memory 
through  the  multiplying  cycles  of  time.  With 
profound  esteem,  very  truly  and  sincerely  yours, 

"  '  D.  G.  PUESE, 

"  *  President  Savannah  Board  of  Trade.' 

"  The  resolutions  were  adopted  by  a  rising  vote. 

"  The  Plant  System  employees  Avere  represented 
by  Hon.  A.  A.  Wiley,  who  spoke  as  follows  : 

" '  Mr.  President,  Mr.  Plant,  Ladies,  and  Gentle- 
men :  These  men  who  wear  these  badges  to-day, 
whether  they  come  from  South  Carolina,  Florida, 
Georgia,  or  Alabama,  are  the  employees  of  the  Plant 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  223 

System,  consisting  of  telegrajjli,  express,  railway,  and 
steamship  lines.  They  number  perhaps  three  thou- 
sand, but  represent  more  than  twelve  thousand 
employees,  and  have  come  from  the  smoke  and  the 
dust  of  the  workshop,  from  the  railway  car,  from 
the  locomotive,  from  express  and  law  offices,  to 
pay  their  tribute  of  respect,  and  to  manifest  their 
love  for  our  distinguished  chief,  their  admiration 
and  appreciation  of  him.     [Applause  and  cheers.] 

" '  This  great  day  becomes  a  national  day,  because 
it  is  replete  with  mighty  consequences  to  both  North 
and  South. 

" '  Here  we  may  forget  our  business  cares  and 
worldly  contests,  for  the  soft  hand  of  kindness, 
friendship,  and  hospitality  smoothes  down  the  ruf- 
fled brow.  A  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  ruthless 
and  uupitying  war,  with  all  the  devastations  that 
follow  in  its  wake,  swept  with  relentless  fury  over 
our  fair  and  fruitful  fields. 

" '  When  that  fratricidal  struggle  was  ended  and 
the  soldiers  who  survived  it  returned  to  their  des- 
olated homes  to  find  poverty  and  want  at  every 
door,  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant,  a  Union  man,  who,  not- 
withstanding his  loyalty  to  the  North,  had  been 
commissioned  by  President  Davis,  because  of  his 
honesty  and  integrity,  to  go  at  will  everywhere 
throughout  Dixie,  was  also  true  to  the  South.  He 
recognized  the  fact  that  the  war  was  over.     He  had 


224  The  Life  of 

confidence  in  the  reserved  energy,  loyalty,  devotion, 
and  patriotism  of  the  men  who  wore  the  gray. 
[Applause  and  cheers.] 

"  '  He  had  faith  in  the  magnificent  possibilities  of 
this  land  of  golden  summers.  He  knew  that  we 
would  never  again  renew  hostilities  against  the 
Union  of  our  fathers  ;  and  he  was  right. 

" '  Mr.  Plant  began  anew  with  us  the  battles  of 
life.  He  poured  out  his  wealth  like  water,  to  build 
up  and  beautify  our  waste  places.  He  put  activity 
and  intelligent  direction  into  the  industrial  life  of 
the  South  ;  and  his  confidence  was  not  misplaced. 
He  has  built  grandly  and  well — wiser,  perhaps, 
than  he  knew — and  has  rolled  onward  the  car  of 
progress  and  prosperity.  The  whole  South  has  felt 
the  touch  of  his  magical  hand,  and  recognized  in 
him  a  potential  factor  in  the  advancement  of  com- 
merce and  civilization.  To-day  about  fifty  thousand 
people  owe  food,  shelter,  and  raiment  to  his  bounty 
and  munificence.     [Applause  and  cheers.] 

" '  He  has  carried  happiness  and  plenty  to  many 
a  fireside,  and  poured  the  sunshine  of  peace  and 
gladness  into  many  a  weary  heart.  [Great  cheering 
and  applause.] 

"'We,  his  servants  and  employees,  have  now 
assembled  here,  not  only  to  do  him  honor  on  this, 
his  birthday,  but  we  desire  to  keep  his  name  and 
memory  forever   fresh    and  green  in  our  heart  of 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  225 

hearts ;  and  no  more  fitting  method,  it  seems  to  me, 
can  be  devised,  than  by  setting  apart  the  27th  day 
of  October,  in  each  succeeding  year,  as  a  memorial 
da}',  to  be  commemorated  by  appropriate  services 
and  the  planting  of  trees.  With  this  object  in  view, 
I  offer  the  following  resolutions,  and  move  their 
unanimous  adoption  by  a  rising  vote  : 

" '  Whereas,  It  is  meet  and  proper  that  we,  the 
employees  of  the  Plant  System,  should  in  some 
appropriate  manner  observe  the  birthday  of  Mr. 
Plant,  our  worthy  and  honored  President;  there- 
fore, be  it 

'''Resolved,  1.  That  the  27th  of  October  in  each 
and  every  year  hereafter  shall  be  set  apart  and 
observed  and  duly  celebrated  in  honor  of  the  life 
and  character  of  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant. 

"'Resolved,  2.  That  on  said  27th  day  of  October, 
water-oak  trees  shall  be  planted  at  all  station  grounds 
and  about  all  section  houses  on  all  the  lines  of  the 
Plant  System,  this  tree  being  the  favorite  of  our 
much-loved  chief. 

"'Resolved,  3.  That  the  general  superintendent 
and  the  division  superintendents  are  hereby  created 
a  permanent  board,  with  the  request  that  Mr.  Plant's 
birthday  be  honored  as  herein  set  out.' 

"  These  resolutions  were  adopted  unanimously  by 
a  rising  vote  and  with  great  enthusiasm. 


226  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

"The  Tampa  (Florida)  Band  then  furnished 
music. 

"Mr.  M.  F.  Plant  addressed  the  crowds  as  fol- 
lows : 

"'Colonel  Hemphill,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen,  and 
Members  of  our  Family,  the  Plant  System  [Great 
cheering  and  applause] :  I  desire  to  thank  you 
in  behalf  of  my  mother,  of  my  wife,  who  is  absent, 
and  my  boy,  for  the  great  compliment  you  have 
paid  my  father.  [Great  applause.]  It  is,  indeed, 
a  great  treat  to  me  to  be  here  and  to  thank  you 
for  your  kindness,  not  only  to  my  father,  but  to  the 
name  of  the  System  which,  by  your  very  careful, 
studious,  and  painstaking  application  to  its  business, 
you  have  built  up.  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you.' 
[Great  applause  and  cheers.] 

"  Mr.  Hemphill  announced  that  at  3  o'clock  p.  m. 
Mr.  Plant  would  hold  a  reception  in  the  Plant 
System  Building. 

"This  reception  was  most  pleasant.  Mr.  Plant 
sat  beneath  the  tropical  foliage  of  the  Plant  Build- 
ing display  and  shook  hands  with  all  his  employees, 
who  passed  him  by  the  hundred.  He  was  driven 
back  to  the  Aragon  Hotel  late  in  the  afternoon." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Banquet  at  the  Aragon  Hotel  Ends  the  Festivities  of  the  Day — Sketch 
of  the  Southern  Express  Company — Distinguished  Callers  on  Pres- 
ident Plant  during  the  Day— Many  Telegrams  and  Letters  of  Con- 
gratulation Received — Many  Press  Notices  of  the  Day,  and  many 
Tributes  of  Respect  and  Esteem  for  him  who  Called  it  forth. 

"  T^HE  banquet  at  the  Aragon  last  night,"  says  the 
■■•  Atlanta  Constitution,  "  given  in  honor  of  Mr. 
H.  B.  Plant,  was  a  fitting  climax  to  the  day  set  apart 
for  the  celebration  of  the  seventy-sixth  birthday  of 
that  distinguished  man. 

"The  occasion  was  one  that  must  have  been 
gratifying  to  the  honored  guest,  in  that  he  received 
the  warmest  assurances  of  the  high  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  by  the  people  of  the  South  fi'om  the 
eloquent  representatives  of  many  of  the  States. 
He  was  the  toast  of  the  evening,  and  he  bore  the 
distinguished  honors  with  his  characteristic  de- 
meanor. 

"  When  Captain  Evan  P.  Howell  called  upon  the 
fifty  prominent  guests  to  rise  and  drink  to  the  health 
of  the  guest  of  honor,  Mr.  Plant,  there  was  an 
enthusiasm  and  love  for  the  latter  inspired  in  the 

227 


228  The  Life  of 

heart  of  every  man  around  the  banquet  tables,  which 
found  vent  in  the  many  eloquent  speeches  of  tribute 
which  followed.  Upon  Mr.  Plant  there  was 
bestowed  the  highest  encomiums  of  praise,  admira- 
tion, and  love,  and  he  was  made  to  feel  the  enthu- 
siasm of  the  sentiment  in  the  hearts  of  the  speakers. 

"  The  dinner  in  honor  of  Mr.  Plant  was  given  by 
the  Exposition  directors.  It  was  the  concluding 
honor  bestowed  upon  the  South's  benefactor  in  con- 
nection with  the  great  Plant  System  Day  at  the 
Exposition.  About  fifty  guests  assembled  to  do 
honor  to  the  occasion,  and  among  them  were  some 
of  the  best-known  and  most  influential  men  of  the 
country.  The  South  was  represented  by  distin- 
guished men  from  many  States. 

"  At  the  conclusion  of  the  dinner,  Captain  Howell, 
who  acted  as  toast-master,  arose  and  proposed  a  toast 
to  the  distinguished  guest  of  honor.  At  the  request, 
every  guest  arose  and  drank  to  the  health  of  Mr. 
Plant  in  silence. 

"'I  have  been  offered  many  toasts  and  received 
some  honors,'  said  Mr.  Plant,  in  response,  ^  but  none 
has  ever  afforded  me  more  pleasure  than  this.  I 
feel  that  I  am  among  friends  to-night,  and  it  is  use- 
less to  assure  you  that  I  am  deeply  appreciative  of 
this  honor.  I  have  had  something  to  say  to  you 
abeady  to-day,  and  am  almost  talked  out.  There 
is  so  much  talent  and  so  many  men  here  tonight 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  229 

who  can  entertain  you  with  a  ventilation  of  the 
English  language,  and  I  am  so  hoarse  that  I  will 
yield  to  them  and  not  detain  you.  I  thank  you, 
Mr.  Toast-master,  and  gentlemen.' 

"  Captain  Howell,  in  introducing  the  speakers  of 
the  evening,  took  occasion  to  say  many  happy  things 
about  Mr.  Plant  and  the  guests  around  the  tables. 
He  was  in  his  happiest  vein,  and  with  wit,  wisdom, 
and  story,  he  entertained  the  assemblage.  Each 
effort  of  the  toast-master  was  received  with  applause. 

"'We  are  indebted  to  the  distinguished  gentle- 
man we  have  gathered  to-night  to  honor,'  said  Cap- 
tain Howell,  '  for  one  of  the  best  exhibits  at  our 
great  Exposition.  His  is  an  exhibit  of  which  we 
should  feel  proud;  one  that  reflects  credit  on  his 
effort  and  the  Exposition.  He  has  shown  us  loyalty, 
fidelity,  and  love  for  the  South  by  the  work  he  has 
done  for  us.  We  are  pleased  and  honored  to  have 
him  among  us,  and  to  call  him  one  of  us.  This  South- 
land owes  to  him  much  of  gratitude.  He  has  bene- 
fited every  section  of  the  Southeast,  and  done  work 
which  ^\dll  last  as  a  monument  to  his  fame  for  years 
to  come. 

" '  We  regret  that  our  zealous  president,  Mr. 
Collier,  is  unable  to  be  with  us  this  evening  to  ex- 
tend to  Mr.  Plant  in  person  the  welcome  felt  by  the 
Exposition  Company,  but  in  that  absence  we  have  a 
man   to   speak  for  him   who   can  do  so   fittingly. 


230  The  Life  of 

We  ask  Mr.  Alexander  W.  Smith  to  return  to  Mr. 
Plant  the  thanks  of  the  Exposition  Company  for  the 
splendid  exhibit  he  has  sent  us  and  for  the  good 
work  he  has  done,  not  only  in  our  interest,  but  for 
the  State  and  the  entire  South.' 

"  Mr.  Smith  paid  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  worth  of 
Mr.  Plant  to  the  State  of  Georgia,  the  South,  and  to 
the  Exposition.  He  thanked  him  on  behalf  of  the 
Exposition  Company  for  the  complete  and  mag- 
nificent exhibit  sent  by  Mr.  Plant,  and  warmly  con- 
gratulated him  on  his  birthday,  which  gave  occasion 
for  such  a  great  day  as  yesterday  had  been  to  the 
Exposition.  Colonel  George  W.  Adair  was  called 
upon  and  he  made  one  of  his  best  speeches.  He  en- 
tertained his  hearers  with  stories  and  reminis- 
cences of  his  boyhood  and  manhood  days,  referring 
to  the  time  when  he  first  met  Mr.  Plant.  The  speaker 
had  assisted  in  forming  the  Southern  Express  Com- 
pany, and  he  proposed  to  share  the  honors  with  Mr. 
Plant,  for  the  evening  at  least. 

"  Among  the  other  speakers  were  Colonel  H.  S. 
Haines,  Colonel  A.  A.  Wiley,  of  Alabama ;  Speaker 
Fleming,  Major  J.  W.  Thomas,  of  Nashville ;  Judge 
Falligant,  of  Savannah ;  Hon.  Fleming  du  Bignon, 
of  Savannah;  Dr.  Smyth,  and  several  others.  All 
of  the  speakers  paid  high  tribute  to  Mr.  Plant  and 
his  work  for  the  South.  He  was  eulogized  in  the 
language  of  highest  praise,  and  declared  to  be  a  man 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  231 

worthy  of  all  honors  that  could  be  bestowed  upon  a 
citizen. 

"Some  of  the  speakers  referred  to  the  esteem  in 
which  Mr.  Plant  is  held  by  his  twelve  thousand  em- 
ployees, and  laid  stress  on  that  fact  as  being  the  best 
evidence  of  the  noble  character  of  the  man,  one  who 
treated  all  men  with  justice,  moderation,  and  kind- 
ness. Mr.  Plant  was  made  to  feel  that  the  welcome 
extended  him  was  sincere,  and  he  left  the  banquet 
table  honored  as  perhaps  no  other  man  will  be  hon- 
ored during  the  Exposition  period.  To  him  was 
shown  the  appreciation  of  the  Exposition  Company 
of  his  work,  by  setting  aside  a  special  day  iu  his  honor, 
something  that  will  not  be  accorded  to  any  other 
individual. 

"  The  banquet  was  one  of  the  most  elaborate  of 
the  season,  and  reflected  credit  on  the  committee  in 
charge  and  Manager  Dodge,  of  the  Aragon,  who 
supervised  it  in  person." 

With  the  banquet  at  the  Aragon,  tendered  to 
President  Plant  by  the  directors  of  the  Exposition 
Company  and  the  citizens  of  Atlanta,  the  festivities  di- 
rectly incident  to  "  Plant  System  Day  "  were  brought 
to  a  close.  This  history,  however,  would  be  incom- 
plete without  reference  to  the  Southern  Express 
Company,  to  which  Mr.  Plant  has  been  pleased  to 
allude  as  his  "  first  love."    It  numbers  among  its  offi- 


232  The  Life  of 

cers  some  of  the  men  whom  Mr.  Plant  had  in  mind 
when  he  said  on  Sunday  moniing,  October  27th,  "I 
see  here  present  those  who  were  with  me  in  troub- 
lous times  and  bore  Avith  me  the  heat  and  burden  of 
the  fight,"  and  this  may  be  considered  a  fitting  place 
to  give  a  brief  history  of  the  company  as  published 
in  the  Constitution  of  October  29,  1895. 

From  the  Atlanta  Constitution,  Tuesday,  October 
29,1895: 

"  Among  the  thousands  who  gathered  at  the  Ex- 
position yesterday  to  do  honor  to  Mr„  Henry  B.  Plant, 
the  great  '  man  of  affairs,'  the  officers  and  employees 
of  the  Southern  Express  Comj^jany  formed  a  notable 
group,  the  central  and  most  prominent  figure  of  which 
was  Mr.  M.  J.  O'Brien,  the  vice-president  and  general 
manager.  It  was  fitting  that  this  great  enterprise 
should  be  represented  by  its  most  prominent  officials 
and  a  large  delegation  of  its  employees  on  this  day, 
for  it  was  as  an  express  company  employee  that  Mr. 
Plant  began  life,  and  the  history  of  the  express  busi- 
ness in  the  South  is  almost  identical  with  Mr.  Plant's 
great  success.  It  was  also  appropriate  that  the  rep- 
resentatives of  the  great  army  of  Southern  Express 
Company  employees  should  be  headed  by  the  man 
whose  master  mind  and  admirable  executive  ability 
have  contributed  so  largely  to  every  success  of  the 
mammoth  enterprise  over  which  he  presides  with  such 
marked  distinction,  for  the  history  of  the  Southern 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  233 

Express  Company  is  not  only  the  history  of  Mr. 
Plant  but  of  Mr.  O'Brien,  since  the  latter  gentleman 
has  been  closely  identified  with  the  express  business 
of  Mr.  Plant  for  the  past  thirty-five  years,  and  its 
achievements  have  largely  been  his  own. 

"  HISTORY    OF   THE    SOUTHERN    EXPRESS     COMPANY. 

"  On  July  5,  1861,  a  charter  was  granted  for  the 
Southern  Express  Company  for  fourteen  years,  with 
H.  B.  Plant  as  President ;  R  B.  Bullock,  Super- 
intendent of  the  Eastern  Division ;  E.  Hulbertj 
Superintendent  of  the  Central,  and  D.  P.  EUwood 
Superintendent  of  the  Western  Division,  who,  how 
ever,  shortly  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  A.  B. 
Small,  with  James  Shuter  as  Assistant  Superin 
tendent. 

"As  the  Federal  forces  advanced  into  Dixie  the 
Southern  Express  Company  abandoned  its  lines, 
which  were  immediately  utilized  by  the  Adams  Ex- 
press Company.  In  fact,  the  Southern  Express 
Company  was  operated  under  difficulties  throughout 
those  belligerent  times,  arising  from  the  changing 
lines  of  armies,  destructions  of  railroads,  and  from 
the  conscription  acts,  until  express  employees  were 
exempted  from  service  in  the  army  and  navy. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  war  another  source  of  danger 
presented  itself.     Gangs  of  disbanded  soldiery  and 


234  The  Life  of 

raiding  parties,  ever  ready  to  appropriate  portable 
property  wherever  it  could  be  found,  in  many  cases 
plundered  the  express  offices,  their  horses  being  taken 
and  nothing  valuable  left.  But  it 's  a  long  lane  that 
has  no  turn.  A  reaction  soon  set  in,  and  the  marvel- 
lous prosperity  of  the  '  Sunny  South  '  has  been  only 
equalled  by  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
Southern  Express  Company.  To-day  its  service  ex- 
tends from  Richmond,  Louisville,  and  St.  Louis  on 
the  North ;  Charleston  and  Savannah  on  the  East ; 
Springfield,  Missouri,  and  Houston,  Texas,  on  the 
West,  and  New  Oi'leans,  Mobile,  and  Tampa,  Florida, 
on  the  South,  reaching  twelve  States  and  embracing 
about  three  thousand  agencies,  with  a  through  line 
to  New  York  and  direct  communication  with 
Cuba. 

"  In  1875,  a  renewal  of  the  company's  charter  was 
applied  for  and  granted,  and,  in  1886,  the  Georgia 
Legislature  granted  the  company  a  charter  for  thirty 
years  from  December  21st  of  that  year.  The  little 
concern  organized  at  Augusta,  Georgia,  in  1861,  has 
now  become  one  of  the  strongest  and  most  successful 
express  companies  in  the  United  States. 

"  The  Constitution  to-day  publishes  excellent  por- 
traits of  General  Manager  M.  J.  O'Brien,  Assistant 
General  Manager  T.  W.  Leary,  Traffic  Manager  C.  L. 
Loop,  and  Superintendent  W.  W.  Hulbert,  all  of 
whom   have    been    intimately  identified    with    the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  235 

growth  and  development  of  the  Southern  Express 
Company. 

"  General  Manager  O'Brien  began  service  with  the 
Adams  Express  Company  at  Memphis,  in  1859.  He 
next  served  as  way-bill  clerk  and  then  as  messenger, 
being  later  promoted  to  the  cashier's  office  at  New 
Orleans.  Evincing  a  remarkable  aptitude  for  the 
express  business,  he  was  next  appointed  agent  at 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  and,  in  rapid  order,  succes- 
sively became  President  Plant's  secretary,  secretary 
of  the  Southern  Express  Company,  general  superin- 
tendent, general  manager,  and  vice-president  and 
general  manager. 

'^  Assistant  General  Manager  Leary  commenced  as 
secretary  to  General  Superintendent  O'Brien  and  for 
years  was  his  faithful  lieutenant.  Subsequently  he 
was  made  assistant  to  the  general  manager  and  then 
appointed  assistant  general  manager. 

"  Traffic  Manager  Loop  began  his  express  career  as 
messenger  in  the  Adams  Express  Company's  service, 
and  was  particularly  pi'ominent  in  express  operations 
during  the  war.  He  was  for  many  years  auditor  and 
cashier  of  the  western  department  of  the  Southern 
Express  Company,  and  upon  the  consolidation  of  the 
eastern  and  western  departments  was  made  general 
auditor,  succeeding  from  that  position  to  his  present 
office. 

"  Superintendent  Hulbert  began  service  as  local 


236  The  Life  of 

agent  at  West  Point,  Georgia,  in  1858,  and  with  the 
exception  of  four  years,  during  which  time  he  was 
in  the  war,  has  been  continuously  in  the  service  of 
the  Southern  Express  Company  ever  since. 

"  To  give  some  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  South- 
ern ExjDress  Company's  business,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  that  should  their  em[)loyees,  with  their  fami- 
lies and  others  dependent  for  their  living  upon  ser- 
vices rendered  to  this  great  enterprise,  move  to  the 
State  of  Nevada,  and  the  present  population  of  that 
State  should  leave  it,  Nevada  would  have  a  much 
larger  population  than  she  has  at  present.  In  other 
words,  the  officers  and  employees  of  the  Southern 
Express  Company  who  are  in  Atlanta  to-day  repre- 
sent a  larger  number  of  citizens  of  this  country  than 
do  the  two  United  States  Senators  who  represent  the 
State  of  Nevada  in  the  upper  House  of  Congress. 
Again,  the  amount  of  money  invested  in  horses,  wag- 
ons, etc.,  is  simply  fabulous,  while  their  stationery 
bill  for  one  year  would  make  a  man  independently 
wealthy. 

"  The  business  of  the  company  must  necessarily  be 
enormous  to  support  and  justify  such  an  expense. 
It  consists  of  forwarding  freight,  money,  and  valu- 
ables of  all  descriptions  by  the  fastest  passenger 
trains,  in  charge  of  special  messengers.  As  forward- 
ers of  money,  bonds,  and  valuables,  they  successfully 
compete  with  the  government  mail  service.      Abso- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  237 

lute  safety  is  guaranteed  in  all  transactions,  and  in 
case  of  damage  to,  or  loss  of  goods,  the  delay,  almost 
inevitable  in  government  red  tape,  is  avoided. 

"  THE   HANDSOME   EXHIBIT. 

"  The  Southern  Express  Company's  office  on  the 
Exposition  grounds  makes  one  of  the  handsomest  ex- 
hibits to  be  seen.  It  is  not,  however,  altogether  for 
show,  but  the  express  business  in  all  its  branches  is 
conducted  just  as  it  is  in  the  Atlanta  office.  The 
pretty,  tasty  little  office  is  doing  a  thriving  business, 
if  one  can  judge  from  the  crowds  which  are  constantly 
about  it.  Mr.  M.  W.  Wooding  is  in  charge  of  the 
Exposition  office,  and  yesterday  happily  sustained 
the  reputation  which  he  has  earned  of  being  a  most 
delightful  host.  Mr.  Wooding  is  an  old  Atlanta  boy, 
and  has  been  with  the  Southern  Express  Company 
for  the  past  twelve  years. 

"Among  the  well-known  gentlemen  who  called 
yesterday  at  the  express  office  were :  H.  B.  Plant, 
President,  New  York  City,  New  York ;  M.  J.  O'Brien, 
Vice-President  and  General  Manager,  New  York  City, 
New  York  ;  M.  F.  Plant,  Vice-President,  New  York 
City,  New  York ;  T.  W.  Leary,  Assistant  General 
Manager,  Chattanooga,  Tennessee ;  C.  L.  Loop,  Traffic 
Manager,  Chattanooga,  Tennessee  ;  G.  H.  Tilley,  Sec- 
retary and  Treasurer,  New  Yoik ;  F.  J.  Virgin,  Au- 


238  The  Life  of 

ditor,  Chattanooga,  Tennessee  ;  Superintendents — 
H.  Dempsey,  Augusta,  Georgia ;  C.  T.  Campbell, 
Chattanooga,  Tennessee ;  O.  M.  Sadler,  Charlotte, 
North  Carolina;  H.  C.  Fisher,  Nashville,  Tennes- 
see ;  G.  W.  Agee,  Memphis,  Tennessee  ;  W.  J.  Cross- 
well,  Wilmington,  North  Carolina ;  C.  L.  Myers, 
Jacksonville,  Florida ;  V.  Spalding,  Roanoke,  Vir- 
ginia ;  C.  A.  Pardue,  New  Orleans,  Louisiana ;  As- 
sistant Superintendent  Mark  J.  O'Brien,  Chattanooga, 
Tennessee  ;  Route  Agents — J.  B.  Hockaday,  Green- 
ville, South  Carolina ;  K.  C.  Barrett,  Florence,  South 
Carolina;  S.  R.  Golibart,  Suffolk,  Virginia;  P.  B. 
Wilkes,  Monroe,  North  Carolina ;  J.  Cronin,  Way- 
cross,  Georgia ;  John  Lovette,  Atlanta,  Georgia ; 
W.  C.  Agee,  Memphis,  Tennessee  ;  Agents — F.  L. 
Cooper,  Savannah,  Georgia ;  W.  A.  Dewes,  Chatta- 
nooga, Tennessee ;  W.  M.  Shoemaker,  Montgomery, 
Alabama ;  F.  M.  Folds,  Messenger,  Montgomery, 
Alabama. 

"  It  would  not  do  to  close  this  article  without  giv- 
ing due  meed  of  praise  to  Daniel  Davis,  the  urbane 
colored  boy  who,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Wood- 
ing, dispensed  '  the  hospitalities  of  the  house  '  in  the 
most  approved  and  satisfactory  manner. 

"  Were  we  to  record  herein  the  numerous  tele- 
grams and  letters  of  congratulation  received  by  Mr. 
Plant  from  his  many  friends  who  were  unable  per- 
sonally to  be  present  in  Atlanta,  we  would  have  to 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  239 

publish  a  second  edition  to  retain  a  pamphlet  form 
of  this  little  volume.  We  must,  therefore,  content 
ourselves  with  saying  to  one  and  all  who  so  thought- 
fully remembered  Mr.  Plant  on  the  occasion  of 
his  anniversary,  that  their  kindly  sentiments  were 
highly  appreciated  by  him,  and  to  each  and  every 
one,  through  these  columns,  he  returns  his  sincere 
thanks. 

"To  our  newspaper  friends,  who  so  kindly  espoused 
our  cause,  prior  to,  at  the  time  of,  and  since  the  festivi- 
ties in  Atlanta,  and  who  are  always  ready  to  deal 
kindly  by  us,  we  return  our  thanks.  To  them  we 
would  most  heartily  accord  the  space  necessary  in 
which  to  reprint  all  of  the  nice  things  they  have 
said  of  us,  but  for  the  same  reason  as  given  in  the 
foregoing  paragraph,  we  must  abbreviate.  How- 
ever, we  feel  that  it  is  not  just  to  them  or  to  our- 
selves entirely  to  ignore  all  quotations  from  their 
columns,  and  with  their  permission  we  give  below, 
in  so  far  as  our  limited  edition  will  permit,  some  of 
the  many  pleasant  references  made  by  our  journal- 
istic friends. 

"  Among  the  many  telegrams  of  congratulation 
received  by  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  President  of  the 
Plant  System,  we  give  below  two,  together  with 
copies  of  Mr.  Plant's  responses,  which  were  omit- 
ted in  our  report  of  proceedings  in  yesterday's 
issue. 


240  The  Life  of 

"'  Montgomery,  Alabama,  Oct.  28,  1895. 
" '  Henry  B.  Plant,  Atlanta,  Georgia : 

"  '  Montgomery  Division,  No.  98,  Order  of  Railway- 
Conductors,  tenders  5^011  its  heartiest  congratulations. 
It  is  the  uniform  hope  of  all  its  members  that  you 
may  live  to  see  many  more  years  of  such  usefulness 
and  happiness,  and  that  your  every  wish  may  be 
realized. 

" '  John  C.  Elliott, 
" '  Chas.  J.  Read, 

" '  Committee^ 

"  'Atlanta,  Georgia,  Oct.  29,  1895. 
" '  Jno.  C.  Elliott  and  Chas.  J.  Read,  Committee, 
No.  98,  Order  Railway  Conductors,  Montgomery, 
Alabama : 

"  '  Of  the  many  telegrams  of  congratulation  I  have 
received,  none  are  appreciated  more  than  the  one 
from  you,  as  representatives  of  the  Order  of  Railway 
Conductors,  and  my  best  efforts  in  the  future,  as  in 
the  past,  will  be  to  deserve  the  commendation  of  all 
members  of  your  order. 

"  '  H.  B.  Plant.' 

"' Tampa,  Florida,  Oct.  27,  1895. 
"*H.  B.  Plant,  Atlanta,  Georgia: 

" '  Recognizing  in  you  a  friend  of  Tampa  and  of 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  241 

Florida,  our  city  congratulates  you  on  this  the  an- 
niversary of  your  birthday,  and  indulges  the  hope 
that  you  may  live  to  celebrate  many  others  and  to 
reap  the  fruits  of  your  labor  and  enterprise. 

F.  A.  Salomonson,  Mayor.' 


ii  i 


"  'Atlanta,  Geoegia,  Oct.  28,  1895. 
"  '  F.  A.  Salomonson,  Mayor : 

" '  I  thank  you  personally,  and  through  you  the 
good  people  of  Tampa  and  Florida,  for  your  hearty 
congratulations  and  well  wishes.  I  shall  hope  to 
celebrate  many  more  anniversaries  of  my  birthday, 
and  as  each  milestone  is  passed  I  trust  we  may  all 
look  back  and  see  that  I  have  contributed  in  a 
measure  to  the  interests  of  the  good  people  of  your 
State  and  city. 

"'H.B.  Plant.' 

"  A  REMAKKABLE  OVATION. 

"  President  H.  B.  Plant,  of  the  Plant  System,  was 
a  happy  man  yesterday  when  he  looked  into  three 
thousand  smiling  faces  at  the  Exposition  Auditorium 
and  saw  among  them  about  one  thousand  five  hun- 
dred of  his  faithful  employees,  who  were  assembled 
to  celebrate  his  seventy-sixth  birthday. 

"  It  was  a  rare  tribute  to  a  great  and  a  good  man. 
Probably  no  railway  president  in  the  world  could 
have  commanded  such  an  ovation. 


242  The  Life  of 

"  Mr.  Plant  was  overwhelmed  with  graceful  atten- 
tions from  his  employees,  the  Exposition  directors, 
and  our  citizens  generally.  The  day  at  the  Exposi- 
tion was  a  celebration  in  his  honor,  and  at  night  the 
directors  entertained  him  at  a  banquet. 

"  It  goes  without  saying  that  this  tribute  is  worth 
more  to  Mr.  Plant  than  presents  of  silver  and  gold. 
It  will  touch  his  heart  as  nothing  else  could.  That 
he  may  long  hold  his  honored  place  among  us  is  the 
earnest  wish  of  all  who  know  him. 

"  MK.    PLANT   AND    THE    NEGKOES. 

"In  addition  to  what  has  been  said  of  Mr.  Plant 
and  his  great  System,  the  negroes  are  grateful  for 
what  he  has  done  for  them.  There  are  over  two 
thousand  negroes  employed  by  Mr.  Plant.  A  great 
number  of  them  have  accumulated  homes,  educated 
their  children,  and  have  nice  bank  accounts,  and  they 
all  love  him.  He  has  contributed  liberally  to  churches, 
school-houses,  and  other  negro  enterprises ;  in  fact, 
he  has  built  several  institutions  of  learning  for  ne- 
groes. A  number  of  negroes  hold  positions  of  trust, 
with  good  pay  attached,  as  is  not  the  case  with  any 
other  system  the  size  of  his  in  the  United  States. 

"May  the  years  of  Mr.  Plant's  usefulness  in  be- 
half  of  the    South,  colored  and    white,   be   many 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  243 

"honors   to    MR.    PLANT. 

"  Few  men  have  done  as  much  as  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant 
to  develop  the  South,  and  the  Journal  joins  heartily 
in  the  tributes  which  are  being  paid  to  him  to  day. 

"  He  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy-six  with  a  rec- 
ord  which  any  man  might  envy,  and  we  trust  is  good 
for  many  more  years  of  usefulness.  Mr.  Plant  is  the 
head  of  great  corporations  which  have  been  of  incal- 
culable value  to  the  South.  They  have  been  so,  not 
because  they  are  rich  and  powerful,  but  because,  un- 
der his  direction,  they  have  been  conducted  on  broad 
and  liberal  lines.  Mr.  Plant's  policy  has  been  to 
build  up.  His  career  presents  a  splendid  contrast 
to  those  of  the  railroad  wreckers  who  have  enriched 
themselves  at  the  expense  of  thousands  of  individual 
victims  and  of  great  regions  of  the  country. 

"Mr.  Plant  has  used  his  power  nobly.  He  has 
made  it  beneficial  to  multitudes  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens, and  has  contributed  immensely  to  the  general 
development  of  the  South.  As  the  president  of  a 
great  railroad  system,  of  steamship  lines,  and  of  the 
Southern  Express  Company,  and  the  Texas  Express 
Company,  Mr.  Plant  enjoys,  not  only  the  kind  regards 
of  a  host  of  employees,  but  the  respect  and  admira- 
tion of  the  public  as  well.  The  many  evidences 
which  he  receives  to-day  of  the  good-will  and  esteem 
of  his  fellow-men  must  be  exceedingly  gratifying  to 
him,  but  we  are  justified  in  saying  that  seldom  have 


244  The  Life  of 

tributes  been  more  richly  deserved.  We  extend  to 
Ml".  Plant  our  cordial  congratulations  on  his  seventy- 
sixth  birthday,  and  hope  that  we  shall  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  his  honored  and  useful  career  con- 
tinued for  many  years  to  come. 

"  Mrs.  H.  B.  Plant,  the  wife  of  the  distinguished 
president  of  the  Plant  System,  is  at  the  Aragon.  She 
is  a  beautiful,  cultured,  travelled  woman,  and  as  such 
receives  everywhere  the  most  flattering  social  atten- 
tions. She  will  be  the  conspicuous  social  figure  of 
this  week,  and  several  brilliant  affairs  will  be  given 
in  her  honor.  Mrs.  Plant  is  one  of  the  New  York 
Commissioners,  and  has  proven  her  interest  in  At- 
lanta's Exposition  in  many  satisfactory  and  assuring 
ways." — Atlanta  Journal. 

"  A  splendid  banquet  was  tendered  by  the  Southern 
Express  Company  to  its  superintendents,  route  agents, 
and  agents  attending  the  Cotton  States  and  Interna- 
tional Exposition,  last  evening  in  the  Kimball 
House. 

"  The  occasion  was  a  most  happy  one. 

"  The  banquet  was  held  in  honor  of  Plant  Day — 
Mr.  Plant  being  president  of  the  Southern  Express 
Company. 

"  Mr.  T.  W.  Leary,  the  popular  and  genial  assistant 
general  manager  of  the  Southern  Express  Company, 
presided  and  acted  as  toast-master.    In  this  capacity 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  245 

he  distinguished  himself,  and  made  some  of  the  hap- 
piest hits  of  the  evening.  The  speeches  were  of  the 
happiest  chai-acter,  and  befitted  the  occasion  which 
they  commemorated — the  birthday  of  the  venerable 
president  of  the  express  company,  \vho  has  done  so 
much  towards  the  building  up  of  this  rich  and  pow- 
erful transportation  company. 

"  Among  those  who  spoke  were  the  following : 

"  Mr.  C.  L.  Loop,  traffic  manager  of  the  Southern 
Expi-ess  Company ;  Mr.  H.  Dempsey,  superintendent ; 
Mr.  H.  O.  Fisher,  superintendent ;  Mr.  G.  AV.  Agee, 
superintendent ;  Mr.  V.  E.  McBee,  general  agent 
Seaboard  Air  Line  ;  Mr.  J.  L.  McCollum,  superin- 
tendent Nashville,  Chattanooga,  and  St.  Louis  Rail- 
w^ay  ;  Mr.  F.  H.  Richardson,  editor  Atlanta  Journal ; 
Mr.  C.  S.  Gadsden,  superintendent  of  the  Plant 
System. 

"  The  entire  occasion  was  marked  by  the  greatest 
enthusiasm,  and  it  will  be  long  remembered  by  those 
present.     The  following  is  a  list  of  the  guests  : 

"J.  S.  B.  Thompson,  assistant  general  superintendent 
Southern  Railway  ;  V.  E.  McBee,  general  agent  Sea- 
board Air  Line  ;  W.  R.  Beauprie,  superintendent 
Southern  Railway  ;  J.  L.  McCollum,  superintendent 
Nashville,  Chattanooga,  and  St.  Louis  Railway ;  D. 
E.  Maxwell,  general  manager  Florida  Central  and 
Peninsular  Railway  ;  L.  M.  Weathers,  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee ;  F.  de  C.  Sullivan,  E.  M.  Williams,  George 


246  The  Life  of 

E.  Carter,  New  York ;  B.  R.  Swoope,  Virginia ;  F. 
H.  Richardson,  Atlanta  Journal,  and  G.  W. 
Haines,  H.  A.  Ford,  C.  O.  Parker,  C.  S.  Gadsden, 
AV.  B.  Denham,  Judge  Bravvley,  of  the  Plant  System  ; 
M.  F.  Echols,  agent  Southern  Express  Company, 
Atlanta,  Georgia;  W.  A.  Dewees,  agent  Southern 
Express  Company,  Chattanooga,  Tennessee;  F.  L. 
Cooper,  agent  Southern  Express  Company,  Savannah, 
Georgia,  and  H.  M.  McCuUoch,  W.  E.  McGiU,  G.  A, 
Wilkinson,  J.  A.  Cleary  and  F.  M.  Folds ;  C.  L 
Loop,  traffic  manager  Southern  Express  Company 
H.  Dempsey,  superintendent ;  H.  C.  Fisher,  superin 
tendent ;  C.  T.  Campbell,  superintendent ;  O.  M 
Sadler,  superintendent ;  W.  L  Crosswell,  superinten 
dent ;  G.  W".  Agee,  superintendent ;  C.  L.  Myers 
superintendent ;  W.  W.  Hulbert,  superintendent 
V.  Spalding,  superintendent ;  C.  A.  Pardue,  super- 
intendent ;  J.  C.  Arnold,  route  agent  ;  S.  R.  Goli 
bart,  route  agent ;  P.  B.  Wilkes,  route  agent  ;  AV.  C 
Agee,  route  agent ;  J.  Cronin,  route  agent ;  K.  C.  Bar 
rett,  route  agent ;  John  Lovette,  route  agent ;  H.  E. 
Williamson,  route  agent ;  J.  B.  Hockaday,  route 
agent ;  W.  M.  Shoemaker,  agent  Southern  Express 
Company,  Montgomery,  Alabama. 

"  The  Exposition  was  crowded  to-day  with  the  em- 
ployees of  the  Plant  System  and  the  friends  of  Mr. 
H.  B.  Plant,  the  president  of  that  System,  for  it  was 
Plant  Day. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  247 

"There  is  perhaps  uo  more  interesting  figure  in 
American  business  life  to-day  than  H.  B.  Plant,  and 
his  employees  have  for  him  that  feeling  of  love  that 
is  so  rarely  held  by  the  employees  of  a  great  corpo- 
ration for  its  head.  As  an  evidence  of  that  love  and 
kindly  feeling  the  employees  gathered  to-day  to  do 
him  honor." — Atlanta  Journal. 

"  The  Chronicle  publishes  this  morning  an  inter- 
esting sketch  of  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant,  by  Mr.  Clark 
Howell.  The  writer  has  a  most  excellent  subject 
for  his  theme,  and  he  has  handled  it  admirably. 
Than  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant  there  is  not  a  better  man 
to  be  found  anywhere.  Starting  from  the  plain 
people,  unaided  by  the  adventitious  circumstances 
of  birth  or  wealth,  he  has,  step  by  step,  ascended 
the  ladder  of  fame  and  fortune,  until  he  is  now 
classed  among  vhe  railroad  magnates  and  the  multi- 
millionaires of  the  country.  He  has  been  the  archi- 
tect of  his  own  fortune,  and  he  has  done  the  work 
in  the  most  artistic  and  substantial  manner.  His 
work  for  Florida  and  the  South  cannot  be  exagger- 
ated. He  has  been  one  of  the  most  potential  factors 
in  the  upbuilding  of  this  section,  and  he  is  still  full 
of  hope  and  faith  in  the  present  and  future  possi- 
bilities of  the  South.  He  knows  thoroughly  the 
advantages  which  we  possess,  and  he  is  enthusiastic 
for  their  full  utilization.     Mr.  Plant  was  for  years 


248  The  Life  of 

a  familiar  figure  in  this  community  and  a  valued 
citizen  of  Augusta. 

"Speaking  of  Mr.  Plant  yesterday,  one  of  our 
prominent  citizens  observed  that  he  had  the  remark- 
able gift  of  always  selecting  the  right  man  for  the 
right  place.  He  is  a  capital  judge  of  human  nature. 
His  life  has  been  a  most  exemplary  and  laborious 
one.  He  is  the  personification  of  kindness  and 
courtesy  in  his  intercourse  with  his  fellow-citizens, 
and  his  consideration  for  his  employees  is  most 
marked. 

"Monday  was  set  apart  by  the  Cotton  States 
Exposition  in  honor  of  Mr.  Plant.  This  recognition 
of  his  services  to  the  South  is  well  deserved.  In 
his  case  it  is  an  honor  most  worthily  bestowed.  At 
the  age  of  seventy-six,  Mr.  Plant  possesses  a  sound 
mind  in  a  sound  body.  Long  may  he  live  to  con- 
tinue his  good  work  for  Florida  and  the  South,  and 
to  wield  his  influence  for  good  among  his  fellow- 
men." — Augusta  Chronicle. 

"  The  employees  of  the  Plant  System,  who  went  to 
the  Cotton  States  and  International  Exposition  on 
the  invitation  of  President  Plant,  returned  yesterday 
very  much  gratified  with  their  visit.  And  Mr.  Plant 
was  very  greatly  pleased  to  meet  them  at  the  Expo- 
sition. The  occasion  was  the  celebration  of  Mr. 
Plant's  seventy-sixth  birthday. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  249 

"  Mr.  Plant  is  still  a  very  vigorous  man.  His  mental 
faculties  are  as  bright  and  keen  as  they  ever  were. 
He  looks  back  on  a  long  life  of  great  activity  and 
usefulness.  He  has  built  up  a  splendid  monument 
to  himself  in  the  Plant  Railway  and  Steamship 
System.  All  his  life  he  has  been  a  builder — never 
a  wrecker.  And  the  speech  he  delivered  to  his  em- 
ployees on  Monday  shows  that  he  has  a  just  ap- 
preciation of  the  relations  he  holds  to  the  public. 

"No  man  has  contributed  more  to  the  building 
up  of  the  South  than  Mr.  Plant.  The  country  tribu- 
tary to  his  lines  of  railroad  presents  an  appearance 
vastly  different  from  what  it  did  a  quarter  of  a 
century  ago.  There  are  thousands  of  comfc^itable 
homes  now  where  there  was  then  only  a  wilderness. 
Plant  Day  was  a  feature  of  the  Exposition,  as  the 
Plant  System  is  a  feature  of  the  South." — Savannah 
Mmming  News. 

"  On  this,  the  seventy-sixth  anniversary  of  his 
birthday,  we  extend  our  wishes  to  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant, 
the  head  of  the  great  system  of  railways  which  bears 
his  name.  Long  life  and  happiness  to  him." — The 
Bulletin,  Savannah,  Georgia. 

"  The  ceremonies  attending  the  anniversary  of  Mr. 
Plant's  birthday  yesterday  in  Atlanta  were  very  im- 
posing. There  was  a  large  crowd  on  hand,  and  Mr. 
Plant  responded  in  a  very  feeling  and  appropriate 


250  The  Life  of 

speech.  There  was  a  feeling  and  eloquent  address 
by  Judge  Falligant.  One  of  the  gems  of  the  occa- 
sion was  the  excellent  letter  of  Capt.  D.  G.  Purse." 
— Savannah  Press. 

"  To-day  is  a  great  one  in  Atlanta.  The  Plant  Sys- 
tem celebration  of  the  birthday  of  its  great  founder  is 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  event  of  its  kind  that 
ever  occui-red  in  this  country.  It  marks  the  begin- 
ning of  a  distinctive  era  in  progress — when  the  men 
who  are  leaders  in  material  progress  are  recognized 
and  honored  as  public  benefactors.  While  Florida 
is  under  vast  obligations  to  statesmen  of  the  past  and 
present,  to  the  heroes  of  several  wars,  to  the  pioneers 
who  redeemed  its  lands  to  the  plow  and  hoe — it  is 
not  too  much  to  say  that  the  present  generation  owes 
fully  as  much  to  the  group  of  men  who,  having  ac- 
quired large  means  elsewhere,  are  expending  and 
investing  them  in  developing  the  resources  and  ad- 
vertising the  resources  of  the  State.  And  it  is  not 
overstating  the  case  to  say  that  to  no  one  on  this  list 
belongs  so  much  credit  as  to  Henry  B.  Plant.  He 
was  the  first,  as  he  is  to-day  the  leader,  to  see  the 
good  points  of  our  soil  and  climate,  and  to  bring 
them  to  the  notice  of  the  world.  To  him,  and  to  his 
unwavering  attachment  to  Florida,  is  due,  to  a  pre- 
ponderating extent,  the  surprising  and  persistent 
growth  of  the  State.     No  pretense  is  made  that  he 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  251 

has  done  it  all,  but  he  led  the  way  and  set  the  pace, 
and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  the  intelligent  and  fair-minded 
people  of  Florida  to  hold  him  in  high  esteem,  and  to 
testify  to  it.  As  long  ago  as  1853,  Mr.  Plant  saw  and 
appreciated  Florida,  and  from  that  day  to  this  he  has 
been  its  unflinching  friend.  He  has  been  the  direct 
agency  for  the  investment  of  many  millions  of  dol- 
lars here,  and  the  indirect  cause  of  its  duplication  by 
others.  He  deserves  the  honors  and  compliments 
that  are  paid  him,  and  more." — Tampa  Times. 

"  The  birthday  of  Henry  B.  Plant,  head  of  the  Plant 
Railway  System  and  of  the  Southern  Express  Com- 
pany, was  yesterday  celebrated  iu  fine  and  appropri- 
ate style  at  the  Atlanta  Exposition.  It  was  Plant 
System  Day.  Mr.  Plant  deserves  such  recognition. 
He  has  done  much  for  the  South,  the  section  of  his 
adoption.  He  has  brought  a  great  deal  of  capital 
and  enterprise  into  the  section,  and  built  up  import- 
ant conveniences  that  have  proven  highly  profitable 
to  the  Southern  country  and  people.  No  one  man 
has  done  more  for  the  advancement  of  the  South's 
material  development.  He  was  seventy-six  yester- 
day, but  looks  twenty  years  younger,  in  spite  of  the 
big  load  of  care  and  the  big  amount  of  work  he  has 
done  in  the  last  fifty  years.  Long  may  he  live  to 
enjoy  the  fruits  and  honors  of  his  good  works." 
— Daily  Times,  Chattanooga. 


252  The  Life  of 

"  The  west  coast  of  Florida,  Alabama,  and  the 
portions  of  the  country  around  the  Plant  System  in 
Georgia,  sent  thousands  of  people  to  the  Atlanta 
Exposition  for  the  celebration  of  Plant  System  Day 
at  the  Exposition.  They  have  been  coming  on  spe- 
cial trains  since  yesterday  morning.  To-day  Mr.  H. 
B.  Plant  celebrated  his  seventy-sixth  birthday,  and 
to-day  is  Plant  System  Day  at  the  Exposition,  Offi- 
cials and  employees  from  all  the  railway,  steamship, 
and  express  lines  controlled  by  Mr.  Plant,  and  num- 
bering nearly  5000  men,  are  here  to  celebrate  the 
day.  The  public  exercises  occurred  in  the  Audi- 
torium, and  the  Plant  System  people  were  welcomed 
by  Mayor  King.  Mr.  Plant  made  a  response  to  the 
welcome." — New  Orleans  Times- Democrat. 

"The  following  invitation  for  last  Monday  the 
Marine  Jouimal  regretted  very  much  not  having 
been  able  to  accept : 

" '  The  Cotton  States  and  International  Exposition, 
Atlanta,  Ga.,  having  designated  October  28,  1895,  as 
Plant  System  Day,  the  officers  and  employees  of  the 
system  will  meet  there  to  commemorate  the  birthday 
of  their  president,  Mr.  Henry  B.  Plant.  You  are 
invited  to  be  present.' 

"Advices  from  Atlanta  since  Monday  announce 
that  the  event  was  a  brilliant  success,  as  befitted 
such  an  occasion.  Mr.  Plant  was  weighed  down 
with  congratulations,  both  personal,  telegraphic,  and 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  253 

by  mail,  and  presented  himself  in  such  an  excellent 
state  of  health  and  enjoyment  that  no  one  would 
have  imagined  he  had  so  far  passed  the  regulation 
threescore  years  and  ten  as  the  day  commemorated. 
Mr.  Plant  saw  much  that  must  have  deeply  gratified 
him  on  the  occasion,  not  only  the  result  of  his  own 
labor  and  enterprise,  but  in  the  encouraging  present- 
ation of  things  that  give  evidence  of  such  a  restored 
measure  of  prosperity  throughout  the  South  as  only 
men  like  himself,  who  have  worked  so  hard  to  ac- 
complish such  a  happy  state  of  affairs,  can  thoroughly 
appreciate.  The  recognition  of  the  Plant  System  in 
such  an  auspicious  manner  by  the  management  of 
the  Atlanta  Exposition  was  a  fitting  testimonial  to 
the  prominent  part  that  the  System  is  recognized  to 
hold  in  conducing  to  the  well-being  of  the  South, 
not  only  from  a  commercial  point  of  view,  but  from 
the  excellent  reputation  among  the  best  classes  of 
people  that  must  necessarily  attach  to  the  places 
where  the  Plant  hotels  for  winter  tourists  are  situ- 
ated. Thus  the  day  became  a  fitting  compliment  to 
the  true  worth  of  the  founder  and  president  of  the 
Plant  System  and  an  additional  ray  in  the  glory 
with  which  his  deeds  crown  him  in  the  fulness  of 
his  days.  Long  may  he  enjoy  it." — Marine  Journal. 

"  To-day  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of  Mr.  H.  B. 
Plant,  President  of  the  Plant  System  of  Railroads 


254  The  Life  of 

and  Steamships,  the  Southern  Express  Company  and 
the  Plant  Investment  Company,  is  being  celebrated 
by  the  officers  and  attaches  of  these  companies  and 
friends  of  Mr.  Plant  at  Atlanta — principally  by  the 
Plant  System  men. 

"  H.  B.  Plant  is  a  remarkable  man,  and  though 
well  advanced  in  years,  he  is  just  as  active  in  busi- 
ness to-day  as  he  was  a  half-century  ago.  Thousands 
of  his  employees  to-day  assemble  to  pay  tribute  to 
his  worth  as  a  man  ;  besides,  thousands  of  acquaint- 
ances and  admirers  extend  their  heartiest  congratu- 
lations. 

"No  better  place  or  time  for  such  celebration 
could  be  had  than  at  the  Atlanta  Exposition,  where 
is  another,  and  the  latest,  monument  to  Mr.  Plant's 
worth  as  a  developer  and  as  a  man  of  enterprise  and 
genius.  The  building  and  the  exhibits  there  of  the 
Plant  System  are  similar  to  his  good  works  all  over 
the  country,  and  every  Floridian,  South  Carolinian, 
Georgian,  and  Alabamian  must  feel  proud  of  these 
representatives  of  the  products  and  enterprise  of 
their  States  collected  and  displayed  to  such  an 
advantage  by  the  great  System  that  benefits  the 
States. 

"The  best  men  in  Florida  acknowledge  H.  B. 
Plant  as  one  of  the  State's  truest  friends,  and  will- 
ingly in  heart,  if  not  in  person,  join  in  doing  him 
honor  on  this,  his  seventy-sixth  birthday,  and  all 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  255 

hope  he  may  be  spared  many  more  years  to   the 
grateful  people." — Jacksonville  Metropolis. 

"The  reception  given  to  the  venerable  president 
of  the  great  Plant  System  of  hotels  in  Florida  on 
Monday,  October  28,  at  Atlanta,  was  a  deserved 
recognition  of  the  work  he  has  done  in  developing 
Florida  and,  indirectly,  the  whole  South." — New 
York  Hotel  Register. 

"As  a  rule,  men  of  large  interests  are  charm- 
ingly simple  and  unaffected  in  manner,  and  this  is 
eminently  true  of  H.  B.  Plant,  President  of  the 
famous  Plant  System  Railway  and  Steamship  Lines, 
a  millionaire,  and  the  controlling  power  of  three  great 
hotels,  the  Tampa  Bay,  the  Seminole  at  Winter 
Park,  and  the  Inn  at  Port  Tampa,  all  in  Florida. 

"Mr.  Plant  resides  in  New  York  much  of  the 
time,  in  an  elegant  home,  but  is  also  to  be  found 
a  good  deal  in  Florida,  while  he  takes  trips  to 
Jamaica  and  other  places  where  he  has  business  to 
transact. 

"Personally,  he  is  a  delightful  conversationalist, 
and  remarkably  young  for  his  years,  which  are  not 
few.  He  is  quite  up  to  date  in  every  way,  and 
never  lets  a  business  chance  go  by  him.  The  magni- 
tude of  his  orders  may  be  understood  from  the  fact 
that  he  has  recently  given  an  order  at  Newport 
News  for  the  largest  coastwise  steamer  ever  built, 


256  The  Life  of 

440  feet  in  length,  and  having  every  comfort  and 
modern  arrangement  for  safety.  He  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  Cotton  States  and  International  Expo- 
sition, and  has  a  building  of  his  own  at  the  grounds, 
with  a  comprehensive  exhibit." — New  Haven  Even- 
ing Register. 

"  TIIE  ATLANTA  EXPOSITION. 

"  We  hardly  think  the  Northern  Press  has  been 
as  generous  in  its  good  offices  to  the  Southern  Ex- 
position as  it  might.  We  have  just  returned  from 
a  visit  to  Atlanta,  and  were  delighted  with  the 
beautiful  landscape  order  of  the  grounds,  the  large 
and  elegant  buildings,  and,  above  all,  the  wondei-ful 
exhibits  they  contained.  The  farm  products  will 
astonish  our  Northern  visitors.  Canned  fruits  and 
garden  produce  are  varied,  numerous,  and  luxuriant. 
The  manufactures,  especially  of  cotton,  were  very 
fine,  and  their  machinery  equal  to  the  best  in  the 
country — was  so  pronounced  by  the  Manufacturers' 
Committee  from  the  New  England  States.  The  Art 
Buildiuo:  is  a  model  of  artistic  taste  and  eles^ance. 
The  Industrial  Building,  in  which  France,  Germany, 
Italy,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  other  nations  are  repre- 
sented would  require  an  entire  day  to  explore.  The 
minerals,  fossils,  photo  plates,  gold  and  silver  ores,  coal, 
salts,  lime,  and  peculiar  clays  found  in  the  Southern 
States,  will  repay  close  inspection.     I  saw  beautiful 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  257 

china  made  from  a  white  clay  found  in  Florida  only 
four  months  ago ;  also  great  blocks  of  salt  as  they 
were  taken  from  the  mine,  that  needed  only  to  be 
crushed  to  fit  them  for  immediate  use. 

"  One  of  the  things  that  has  given  a  great  uplift 
to  the  Cotton  States  has  been  the  improvement  of  its 
railroads.  A  quarter  of  a  century  ago  these  were  in 
a  very  depressed  condition,  crippled,  bankrupt,  and 
unremunerative,  and  about  this  time,  H.  B.  Plant,  of 
New  York,  interested  Northern  capitalists  in  them, 
bought,  combined,  reorganized,  and  improved  them 
in  every  way,  adding  steamboat  lines  to  the  West 
Indies,  and  perfecting  an  express  system  unsurpassed 
in  any  part  of  the  country,  for  the  whole  South. 
This  so  increased  travel  to  the  South,  especially  in 
the  winter  season,  by  health-seekers  and  pleasure- 
seekers,  that  better  hotel  accommodations  were  de- 
manded. These  were  soon  provided,  at  a  large 
outlay,  giving  the  South,  especially  Florida,  the  fin- 
est hotels  in  the  world.  St.  Augustine,  Palm  Beach, 
and  Tampa  Bay,  especially  the  latter,  are  unsurpassed 
for  healthful,  comfortable,  and  luxuriant  appoint- 
ments. Hence,  Plant  Day  was  one  of  the  great 
days  of  the  Exposition,  when  some  two  thousand  of 
the  more  than  twelve  thousand  employees  of  the 
Plant  System  came  to  do  honor  to  the  man  who  had 
done  so  much  for  the  Southern  section  of  our  coun- 
try.    Receptions,  addresses,  silver  cup,  compass,  and 


258  The  Life  of 

flowers,  and  a  grand  banquet  in  the  evening  at  the 
Aragon  Hotel,  were  cordially  tendered  to  this  bene- 
factor of  the  Cotton  States.  Labor  and  capital 
clasped  hands  in  the  most  friendly  accord,  and  this 
problem  of  the  age  was  here  solved,  where  peace 
and  good-will  abounded  among  these  men.  We  saw 
the  man  of  war,  the  admiral  of  the  fleet  at  Hampton 
Koads,  pay  his  respects  to  this  man  of  peace,  whose 
guest  we  were,  and  whose  power  for  good  has 
been  so  widely  felt  in  our  land." — An  East  Orange 
Dominie,  East  Orange  Gazette,  East  Orange,  New 
Jersey. 

"exposition  echoes. 

"  Mr.  A.  B.  Wrenn,  special  agent  of  the  Southern 
Pacific,  who  has  been  in  Atlanta  for  the  past  few 
days,  returned  to  the  city  yesterday,  and  gives  a 
glowing  account  of  the  Exposition.  He  says  that 
the  number  of  people  who  visited  the  great  show 
on  President's  Day  was  something  over  78,000,  and 
that  on  Atlanta  Day  the  number  will  be  considera- 
bly more. 

" '  One  of  the  prettiest  sights  I  saw  while  in  At- 
lanta,' said  Mr.  Wrenn,  '  was  that  of  the  thousands 
of  the  employees  of  the  Plant  System,  when  Plant 
Day  was  celebrated.  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant,  president  and 
owner  of  the  Plant  System  of  railroads,  gave  the 
thousands  of  his  employees,  who  could  possibly  get 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  259 

off  duty,  a  free  trip  to  the  Fair,  and  on  Plant  Day 
there  were  several  thousands  of  them  present.  A 
grand  reception  was  given,  and  section  bosses,  freight 
agents,  clerks,  and  even  negro  laborers  who  worked 
on  the  sections,  were  given  an  opportunity  of  shak- 
ing hands  with  Mr.  Plant,  who  is  now  an  elderly 
gentleman.  Mr.  Plant  made  a  speech  and  expressed 
his  satisfaction  at  meeting  so  many  of  his  men,  and 
the  affair  passed  off  most  pleasantly.' 

"  Mr.  Wrenn  says  that  the  Exposition  is  well  worth 
seeing." — Daily  Picayune,  New  Orleans,  Louisiana. 

"the  ATLANTA  EXPOSITION. 
"by  the  key.  GEORGE  H.  SMYTH,  D,D. 

"  Coming  so  soon  after  the  great  Exposition  at 
Chicago, — the  greatest  the  world  has  ever  seen, — and 
considering  the  general  depression  of  the  country,  and 
the  short  time  taken  for  preparation,  the  Exposition 
of  the  Cotton  States,  at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  is  a  marvel. 
The  terraced  ground,  selected  and  laid  out  with  such 
beautiful  landscape  effect,  the  architectural  designs 
of  the  buildings,  the  artistic  skill  displayed  in  locat- 
ing them,  together  with  the  drives,  walks,  ponds, 
fountains,  lawns,  and  ornamentations  of  the  whole 
Fair  grounds,  reflect  great  credit  on  the  committee 
of  distinguished  gentlemen  who  had  the  matter  in 
charge,  and  who  spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  to 


260  The  Life  of 

make  the  Exposition  a  great  success.    Atlanta  alone 
contributed  $1,000,000  to  the  enterprise. 

"  Plant  Day  was  the  great  day  of  the  Fair  thus  far. 
It  was  set  apart  by  the  Committee  of  Management 
in  honor  of  Henry  B.  Plant,  who  has  done  so  much 
for  the  progress,  prosperity,  and  welfare  of  the  South- 
ern States.  More  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  has 
passed  since  he  began  his  patriotic,  not  to  say  philan- 
thropic, work  of  uplifting  a  prostrate  section  of  our 
country.  Up  to  this  time  the  railroads  of  the  Cotton 
States  were  poor,  crippled,  and  some  of  them  bank- 
rupt. In  1879,  Mr.  Plant  interested  other  capital- 
ists in  purchasing,  reorganizing,  and  improving  the 
railroads  of  the  South.  He  organized  and  perfected 
an  express  system,  steamboat  system,  railroad  sys- 
tem— until  now,  the  Plant  System,  as  it  is  called, 
embraces  nearly  two  thousand  miles  of  railway  lines 
and  over  twelve  hundred  miles  of  steamship  lines. 
Of  course,  the  facilities  for  comfortable  ti-avel  to  and 
through  the  South  brought  the  health-seeker,  the 
pleasure-seeker,  investor,  and  permanent  settler  to 
the  South ;  and  this  influx  of  population  continues 
with  increasing  numbers  each  year.  'To-day,  the 
South  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be  the  most 
prosperous  portion  of  the  great  Union,  and  that  por- 
tion over  which  the  Plant  System  ramifies  itself  is 
known  as  the  garden-spot.  Mr.  H.  B.  Plant  is  the 
mainspring  that  moved  the  whole,  and  he  is,  in  every 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  261 

sense,  a  public  benefactor.'  This  is  only  the  briefest 
intimation  of  the  reasons  for  Plant  Day  at  the  Expo- 
sition. 

"  Sunday,  October  27th,  was  Mr.  Plant's  seventy- 
sixth  birthday.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  one  of 
a  party  of  friends  that  filled  his  private  car  in 
going  to  the  Exposition,  and  occupied  one  of  the 
large  and  elegant  rooms  of  his  suite  at  the  Aragon 
Hotel,  Atlanta.  On  the  morning  of  that  day  a  few 
gentlemen — and  they  were  gentlemen  in  every  sense 
of  the  term — representing  the  more  than  twelve  thou- 
sand employees  of  the  Plant  System,  adroitly  enter- 
tained their  president  in  his  own  room,  while  the 
others  took  possession  of  his  parlor.  When  every- 
thing was  in  readiness,  Mr.  Plant  and  his  guests  were 
invited  into  the  parlor.  He  was  most  cordially 
greeted  and  congratulated  on  the  seventy-sixth  re- 
turn of  his  birthday.  Then  written  addresses, 
couched  in  choice  language,  were  read  from  the  three 
different  departments — railroad,  express,  and  steam- 
boat— of  the  Plant  System,  followed  by  presenta- 
tion of  flowers,  of  a  silver  compass,  suggesting  the 
straight  and  upright  course  of  his  life,  and  a  silver 
cup,  large  and  massive, — a  '  loving-cup,' — '  filled,  Mr. 
Plant,  with  the  esteem,  affection,  and  best  wishes 
of  your  associates  and  employees,  to  whom  you  have 
been  a  benefactor  and  friend.'  Mr.  Plant's  response 
was  beautiful,  tender,  and  touching,  as  kindly  eyes 


262  The  Life  of 

looked  through  their  tears  at  this  grand  old  man 
whom  they  esteemed  as  a  father. 

"  Next  day,  the  reception  given  Mr.  Plant  in  the 
Auditorium,  by  the  employees  of  the  Plant  System, 
where  addresses  and  resolutions  of  appreciation,  es- 
teem, and  gratitude  for  what  he  had  done  for 
the  South,  were  presented  to  him,  was  grand  be- 
yond description.  In  the  evening  of  the  same 
day  a  banquet  was  tendered  him  at  the  Aragon 
Hotel  by  the  managers  of  the  Exposition.  Judges, 
lawyers,  merchants,  the  mayor  of  Atlanta,  and  a 
large  company  of  distinguished  gentlemen  sat  down 
to  a  sumptuous  repast.  But  it  was  'the  feast  of 
reason  and  the  flow  of  soul' — the  eloquent  and 
patriotic  sentiments  expressed  in  the  after-dinner 
speeches  that  gave  this  choice  chapter  of  Plant  Day 
its  chief  significance  and  greatest  charm.  Never 
was  Southern  eloquence  more  eloquent  or  tongues 
more  fluent  in  giving  forth  the  overflow  of  heart. 
'  No  North,  no  South,  but  one  united,  happy  country 
— the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave.' 

"  When,  near  the  close,  we  were  most  unexpectedly 
called  on  for  a  speech,  what  could  we  say  but  express 
the  pleasure  experienced  in  all  we  had  seen  and  en- 
joyed this  whole  day.  AVe  had  witnessed  the  solu- 
tion of  the  greatest  problem  of  the  age,  a  problem 
that  many  say  will  never  be  solved,  that  will  yet 
bring  on  universal  revolution.     We  had  to-day  seen 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  263 

labor  and  capital — employer  aud  employed — clasp 
hands  in  mutual  sympathy  and  most  friendly  accord. 
We  had  seen,  everywhere  we  travelled  in  the  South, 
the  Plant  System  men  vie  with  each  other  in  doing 
honor  to  their  chief.  His  presence  was  the  signal 
for  willing  hands  and  happy  faces  in  any  service 
they  could  render  him.  Men  felt  better  for  his  pre- 
sence. The  Czar  of  all  the  Russias  might  well  envy 
this  modest,  quiet,  Connecticut  man,  the  connecting 
link  between  North  and  South,  the  harmonizer  of 
differences,  and  the  promoter  of  peace  and  good-will 
among  men ;  and  around  whom  cluster  the  respect 
and  manly  affection  of  12,000  employees  and  many 
more  thousands  of  invalids  who  find  lost  health 
travelling  in  the  luxuriant  cars  and  dwelling  in  the 
luxuriant  hotels  of  the  Plant  System.  Mr.  Plant 
was  first  led  to  Florida  in  1854  in  search  of  health 
for  his  invalid  wife,  whose  life  he  believes  was 
prolonged  many  years  by  her  residence  in  the  soft, 
balmy  air  of  this  State.  Travel  then  was  so  uncom- 
fortable, and  hotel  accommodations  so  poor,  that  he 
began  to  think  what  could  be  done  to  improve  both. 
Verily,  'There  is  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
rough  hew  them  as  we  may,'  and  well  is  it  when  our 
own  sufferings  lead  us  to  discover  means  of  alleviat- 
ing those  of  our  fellow-men." — The  Christian  Intelli- 
gencer ^  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Some  Changes  that  have  Taken  Place  in  the  Configuration  of  the 
Globe— Islands  Born  and  Buried — French  Revolution — Napoleon's 
Influence  on  Europe — England's  Long  Wars — Barbarous  Treat- 
ment of  Prisoners — Slavery  Abolished — English  Profanity  and 
Intemperance — Temperance  Movements — Duelling — Penny  Post- 
age— Expansion  of  the  Press — Canals,  Erie  and  Suez — Railroads 
in  England  and  the  United  States — First  Steamer  to  Cross  the 
Atlantic — First  Steamship  Line. 

'X'HE  changes  that  have  taken  place  on  the  globe 
■*       itself,  and  in  its  inhabitants  during  the  life  of 
Mr.  Plant,  are  varied,  numerous,  and  wonderful. 

The  configuration  of  the  earth  has  altered  to  a  de- 
gree incredible  to  any  but  those  observant  of  such 
changes.  Winchell  has  tabulated  some  of  these  un- 
dulatory  movements  that  have  taken  place  along 
the  Atlantic  shore  line  of  the  American  continent 
and  elsewhere.  "  At  St.  Augustine,  in  Florida,  the 
stumps  of  cedar  trees  stand  beneath  the  hard  beach 
shell-rock,  immersed  in  water  at  the  lowest  tides. 
Some  of  the  sounds  upon  the  coast  of  North  Caro- 
lina, which  have  been  navigable  within  the  memory 
of  living  sea-captains,  are  now  impassable  bars,  or 
emerging  sand-flats.  Along  the  coast  of  New  Jersey 
the  sea  has  encroached,  within  sixty  years,  upon  the 
264 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  265 

sites  of  former  habitations,  and  entire  forests  have 
been  prostrated  by  the  inundation.  In  the  harbor 
of  Nantucket  the  upright  stumps  of  trees  are  found 
eight  feet  below  the  lowest  tide,  with  their  roots 
still  buried  in  their  native  soil."  Similar  ruins  of 
ancient  submarine  forests  occur  on  Martha's  Vine- 
yard, and  on  the  north  side  of  Cape  Cod,  and  again 
at  Portland.  In  the  region  of  the  Saint  Croix  River, 
separating  Maine  from  New  Brunswick,  the  coast 
has  been  raised,  carrying  deposits  of  recent  shells 
and  sea-weeds,  in  one  instance,  to  the  height  of 
twenty-eight  feet  above  the  present  surface  of  the 
sea.  The  island  of  Grand  Manan,  off  the  mouth  of 
the  Saint  Croix  River,  is  slowly  rotating  on  an  axis,  so 
that,  while  the  south  side  is  gradually  dipping  be- 
neath the  waves,  the  north  is  lifted  into  high  bluffs. 
Near  the  River  St.  John  is  an  area  of  twenty  square 
miles  containing  marine  shells  and  plants  recently 
elevated  from  the  sea.  One  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  east  of  this  place,  the  shore  is  experiencing  a 
subsidence. 

The  north  side  of  Nova  Scotia  is  sinking,  while 
the  south  is  rising,  insomuch  that  breakers  now  ap- 
pear off  the  southern  coast  in  places  safely  navigable 
in  years  gone  by.  The  ancient  city  of  Louisburg, 
on  the  island  of  Cape  Breton,  is  another  testimony 
to  the  uneasy  condition  of  the  land.  This  place  was 
once  the  stronghold  of  France  in  America,  and  one 


266  The  Life  of 

of  the  finest  harbors  in  the  world.  It  was  well  forti- 
fied and  had  a  population  of  twenty  thousand  souls 
within  its  walls. 

It  was  destroyed  during  the  French  and  Indian 
War,  and  the  inhabitants  dispersed,  but  Nature  had 
herself  ordained  its  abandonment.  The  rock  on 
which  the  brave  General  Wolfe  landed  has  nearly 
disappeared.  The  sea  now  flows  within  the  walls 
of  the  city,  and  sites  once  inhabited  have  become  the 
ocean's  bed.  In  1822,  the  entire  coast  of  Chili  was 
elevated  to  a  height  varying  from  two  to  seven  feet, 
an  area  equal  to  that  of  New  England  and  New 
York,  having  been  lifted  up  bodily.  In  1831,  an 
island,  since  called  Graham's  Island,  sprang  from  the 
bed  of  the  Mediterranean  between  Sicily  and  the 
site  of  ancient  Carthage.  The  island  is  now  but  a 
sunken  reef.  Another  island,  as  recently  as  1866, 
rose  from  the  bottom  of  the  Grecian  Archipelago, 
before  the  very  eyes  of  the  American  Consul,  Mr. 
Cbaufield,  bearing  upon  its  slimy  back  fragments  of 
wrecks  that  had  been  sunken  in  the  little  harbor  of 
Santorin. 

"An  island  in  the  Missouri  River,  broken  into 
fragments  and  washed  away,  was  the  unusual  spec- 
tacle witnessed  by  the  people  of  Atchison,  Kansas. 
For  years  an  island  of  600  or  700  acres  has  been 
one  of  the  attractions  of  Atchison.  It  was  as  fertile 
as  a  garden,  and  was  known  all  over  the  West  for 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  267 

the  excellence  of  the  celery,  asparagus,  sweet  pota- 
toes and  melons  it  produced.  It  had  the  appear- 
ance of  a  veritable  oasis  in  a  desert,  and  its  green 
shrubbery,  generous  shade  trees,  velvet  lawns,  and 
cool  spring,  were  a  perpetual  joy.  Upon  this  island 
a  shooting  club  had  a  home,  and  the  base-ball  enthu- 
siasts had  their  grounds,  and  grandstand.  Alto- 
gether, it  was  a  most  pleasant  resort.  In  a  single 
night  this  island  was  dissolved  into  fragments, 

"  The  big  June  rise  in  the  Missouri  River  struck 
it,  and  to-day  it  is  only  a  reminiscence.  What  was 
Kansas's  loss,  however,  was  Missouri's  gain.  With 
the  obliteration  of  the  island  the  current  left  the 
Missouri  shore  and  struck  hard  against  the  Kansas 
bluffs.  The  result  of  this  is  that  the  Missouri  ban- 
ner has  been  planted  a  mile  westward,  and  hun- 
dreds of  acres  of  rich  bottom  land  have  been  added 
to  its  domain,  while  Kansas  mourns  the  loss  of  its 
green  island  and  pleasant  park." 

The  wonderful  changes  going  on  in  the  configura- 
tion of  England  are  recorded  in  a  well-known 
London  paper  {Tit-Bits)  in  the  following  words : 

"Is  England  disappearing?  Readers  may  pucker 
up  their  lips  and  ejaculate  '  Absurd ! '  but  facts, 
nevertheless,  remain  and  show  pretty  clearly  that 
England  is  positively  disappearing,  and  may  in 
years  to  come  be  marked  on  the  map  as  a  van- 
ished isle. 


268  The  Life  of 

"On  the  coast  the  sea  is  encroaching  upon  the 
land  at  an  astonishing  rate.  Seaside  towns  and 
villages,  holiday  resorts,  are  gradually  being  eaten 
up  and  the  inhabitants  driven  inland.  In  many 
parts  the  sea  runs  up  on  a  beach  which  was  once 
far  inland.  In  other  cases  churches  which  were  at 
one  time  far  from  the  sea  now  stand  at  the  edge  of 
cliffs  and  have  the  sea  lapping  almost  at  their  doors. 

"The  Goodwin  sands,  about  five  miles  off  the 
coast  of  Kent,  were  at  one  time  a  portion  of  the 
mainland  itself  and  the  property  of  Earl  Goodwin. 
But  the  sea  has  swallowed  them  up. 

"The  coast  of  Norfolk  is  minus  three  villages 
which  it  once  possessed  —  Shipden,  Eccles,  and 
Wimpwell — all  of  which  have  been  taken  into  the 
arms  of  the  encroaching  ocean.  The  Cromer  of  to- 
day stands  miles  inland  of  the  original  Cromer. 

"  Auburn  and  Harlburn,  two  Yorkshire  villages, 
once  promised  to  develop  into  seaport  towns  of  con- 
siderable importance  ;  but,  like  the  will  of  Canute, 
the  will  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  villages  was 
ignored  by  the  rising  sea,  and  Auburn  and  Harlburn 
now  exist  in  mere  names  and  sand-banks. 

"Dunwich,  on  the  coast  of  Suffolk,  is  gradually 
being  swallowed  up.  Every  now  and  then  the 
inhabitants  move  a  distance  inland,  rebuild  their 
houses  and  shops  and  wait  patiently  and  philosoph- 
ically for  the  next  "  notice  to  quit "  from  the  sea. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  269 

Many  other  seaside  places  have  suffered  or  are  suf- 
fering a  similar  fate. 

"  It  may  be  argued,  on  the  other  hand,  that  some 
seaside  towns  are  gradually  becoming  inland  towns 
by  the  failure  of  the  sea  to  *  come  up  to  the  mark,' 
and  running  out  only  to  run  in  for  a  shorter  distance. 
"Winchelsea,  Sandwich,  Rye,  and  Southport  are  all 
suffering  in  this  way.  Winchelsea  and  Rye  were 
originally  two  of  our  cinque  ports,  but  the  sea  has 
left  them  standing  high  and  dry.  Sandwich  was 
once  a  highly  important  seaport  town.  It  now 
stands  two  or  three  miles  inland. 

"  The  sea  is  leaving  Southport  quite  in  the  lurch — 
so  much  so  indeed  that  the  inhabitants  have  had  to 
sink  extensive  lakes  down  on  the  beach  to  keep  the 
sea  from  running  off  altogether  and  leaving  merely 
an  ordinary  inland  town. 

"  But  the  extension  of  our  island  in  this  way  is 
very  much  less  than  the  encroachment  of  the  sea  at 
other  points,  and  while  our  land  is  certainly  becom- 
ing more  extensive  in  one  direction,  it  is  contracting, 
and  with  much  greater  rapidity,  in  some  other.  And 
the  ultimate  effect  may  be  that  our  mountain  peaks 
may  form  small  islands,  and  eventually  be  pointed 
out  by  posterity  as  'the  position  in  which  Great 
Britain  is  reputed  to  have  stood.'  " 

The  nineteenth  has  been  the  most  remarkable 
century  in  the   world's   history.     It  was  the  most 


270  The  Life  of 

destructive  and  wasteful  of  life  and  property  in  the 
early  part  of  its  career,  and  in  the  latter  half  has  been 
the  most  constructive  and  uplifting  to  the  human  race 
of  any  of  the  past  centuries.  The  population  of  all 
Europe  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  numbered 
one  hundred  and  seventy  millions,  of  whom  four 
millions  were  engaged  in  the  murderous  work  of 
war.  The  demoralization  of  society  and  the  miseries 
inflicted  on  the  people  by  these  wars  are  beyond  the 
power  of  pen  to  describe.  France  had  an  absolute 
monarchy.  "The  King  held  in  his  hands  the  un- 
questioned right  to  dispose,  at  his  will,  of  the  lives 
and  property  of  the  people.  He  was  the  sole 
legislator.  His  own  pleasure  was  his  only  rule.  He 
levied  taxes,  asking  no  consent  of  those  who  had  to 
pay.  He  sent  to  prison  men  with  no  crime  laid 
to  their  charge,  and  kept  them  there,  without  trial, 
till  they  died."  Political  corruption  was  rampant. 
For  sixty  years  the  court  of  Louis  XV.  had  festered 
in  the  most  filthy  debauchery.  Then  followed  the 
bloody  Revolution,  unparalleled  in  history.  The 
guillotine,  worn  out  with  its  butchery  of  more  than  a 
million  lives  stood  idle,  and  peace — rather,  the  lull  of 
an  unfinished  storm,  for  a  time  rested  upon  unhappy 
France.  Then  the  tumultuous  hurricane  burst  out 
anew  in  the  wars  of  Napoleon,  which  terminated 
only  at  Waterloo  in  1815. 

"The  influence  which  Napoleon  exerted  upon  the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  271 

course  of  human  affairs,"  says  McKenzie,  "  is  with- 
out a  parallel  in  history.  Never  before  had  any 
man  inflicted  upon  his  fellows  miseries  so  appalling  ; 
never  before  did  one  man's  hand  scatter  seeds  des- 
tined to  produce  a  harvest  of  change  so  vast  and  so 
beneficient.  It  was  he  who  roused  Italy  from  her 
sleep  of  centuries  and  led  her  towards  that  free  and 
united  life  which  she  at  length  enjoys.  It  was  he, 
who  by  destroying  the  innumerable  petty  states  of 
Germany,  inspired  the  dream  of  unity  which  it  has 
required  more  than  half  a  century  to  fulfil."  The 
progress  made  by  these  two  countries  during  the 
century,  in  liberty,  education,  and  all  that  conduces 
to  the  welfare  of  the  individual  and  the  strength  of 
the  nation,  has  been  great  beyond  precedent. 

England  has  perhaps  outstripped  all  other  nations 
in  the  advancement  she  has  made  during  this  period 
of  the  world's  greatest  progress.  Her  long  and 
terrible  wars  with  France  and  her  allies  had  wasted 
her  people  and  depleted  her  treasury.  Taxes  were 
enormous,  food  was  high,  wages  low,  and  work 
scarce.  The  introduction  of  machinery  in  some  de- 
partments reduced  hand-labor  a  hundred-fold.  The 
power  loom  threw  thousands  of  people  out  of  em- 
ployment. England  was  badly  governed.  The  laws 
were  all  made  in  the  interests  of  the  rich.  Multi- 
tudes of  the  poor  were  famine  stricken,  one  in  eight 
being  fed  on  charity,  and  many  died  of  starvation. 


272  The  Life  of 

Hunger  maddens  men,  and  hence  crime  abounded. 
Laws,  numerous  and  terrible,  were  enacted  for  its 
prevention  and  punishment.  Capital  offences  num- 
bered two  hundred  and  twenty-three.  Some  of  the 
offences  were  ridiculous  trifles.  If  a  man  appeared 
disguised  in  public,  cut  down  young  trees,  shot 
rabbits,  or  stole  property  worth  a  dollar  and  a  quarter, 
he  was  at  once  hanged.  The  treatment  of  prisoners 
was  most  barbarous.  Young  and  old  of  both  sexes 
were  huddled  together  like  cattle.  Vermin,  filth, 
and  starvation  were  the  common  lot  of  all.  John 
Howard  and  Elizabeth  Fry  inaugurated  reforms  in 
the  interests  of  the  prisoners  that  have  since  engaged 
the  thought  and  effort  of  the  best  men  and  women 
of  the  nation. 

War  was  carried  on  in  the  most  cruel  and  brutal 
manner.  Conscription  and  the  press  gang  forced 
men  from  their  families,  and  from  peaceful  occupa- 
tion, and  drove  them  to  an  unwilling  military  or 
naval,  bloody  field-servitude.  Five  hundred  lashes 
was  no  uncommon  punishment  for  some  trifling  of- 
fence. "The  men  who  applied  the  torture  were 
changed  at  short  intervals,  lest  the  punishment  should 
be  at  all  mitigated  by  their  fatigue.  The  doctor 
stood  by  to  say  how  much  the  victim  could  bear 
without  dying.  When  that  point  was  reached,  he 
was  taken  down  and  carried  to  the  hospital,  to  be 
brought  back  for  the  balance  of  his  punishment  when 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  273 

Ms  wounds  were  healed.  There  is  record  of  a  soldier 
sentenced  to  one  thousand  lashes,  seven  hundred  of 
which  were  actually  inflicted.  In  the  Crimean  war 
two  thousand  six  hundred  British  soldiers  were 
killed,  while  eighteen  thousand  died  in  hospital  of 
wounds  and  disease." 

Scientific  skill  directed  by  generous-hearted  Christ- 
ian philanthropy  has  now  mitigated  these  horrors, 
reducing  them  almost  to  a  minimum.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  brutality  endui-ed  by  women  and 
little  children  working  in  mines  from  twelve  to  six- 
teen hours  a  day. 

Slavery,  which  was  almost  universal  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  century,  has  been  abolished.  Forty  mil- 
lions in  Russia,  four  millions  in  the  United  States, 
and  many  more  millions  in  other  lands  have  been 
made  free. 

Nor  has  this  freedom  been  confined  to  the  chattel 
slave.  The  courts  of  Europe  were  debauched  beyond 
description.  Even  in  England  among  the  higher 
classes,  "  the  supreme  crowning  evidence  that  an  en- 
tertainment had  been  successful  was  not  given  till 
the  guests  dropped  one  by  one  from  their  chairs,  to 
slumber  peacefully  on  the  floor  till  the  servants  re- 
moved them." 

The  temperance  movement  belongs  to  our  present 
century,  and  while  it  has  not  yet  accomplished  all 
that  could  be  desired,  it  has  done  much  to  lessen 


274  The  Life  of 

some  of  the  grossest  evils  of  society,  and  is  full  of 
promise  for  final  triumph.  The  first  temperance 
society  was  only  eleven  years  old  when  the  subject 
of  this  biography  was  born.  It  was  organized  in 
April,  1808,  at  Morean,  Saratoga  County,  New 
York,  with  forty-three  members.  The  American 
Temperance  Society  was  formed  at  Boston,  Feb- 
ruary, 1826,  and,  in  1829,  the  New  York  State 
Temperance  Society,  which  in  less  than  a  year  had 
one  thousand  local  societies  with  a  hundred  thousand 
members.  Soon  the  movement  extended  to  the  Old 
World,  and  a  society  was  formed  at  New  Ross,  County 
Wexford,  Ireland,  and  within  a  year  sixty  other  so- 
cieties were  formed  in  different  parts  of  the  country. 
The  Father  Mathew  crusade  began  in  1838,  and  it 
resulted  in  the  enrollment  of  one  million  eight  hun- 
dred thousand  men  and  women  in  the  temperance 
cause.  The  wave  spread  to  Scotland,  England, 
Wales,  and  the  Continent.  The  Washington  move- 
ment, started  at  Baltimore  in  1840,  doubtless  ad- 
vanced the  cause  of  temperance  in  our  country,  half 
a  million  having  signed  the  pledge.  The  great  pro- 
gress made  in  this  direction  is  seen  not  so  much  in 
the  number  of  temperance  societies  as  in  the  fact 
that  while  there  is  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the 
moderate  use  of  wines  and  liquors,  there  is  but  one 
opinion  among  respectable  people  as  to  the  immoder- 
ate use,  and  any  one  indulging  in  orgies  such  as  those 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  275 

to  which  we  have  alluded  would  be  excluded  from 
all  participation  in  decent  society.  No  man  of  stand- 
ing in  good  society  glories  in  the  shame  of  beastly 
intoxication ;  multitudes  do  not  use  liquor  at  all,  and 
many  others  use  it  only  as  a  medicine  or  aid  to  health. 

The  duel  was  made  a  legal  way  of  settling  dis- 
putes between  gentlemen,  and  even,  "  Fox,  Pitt, 
Castlereagh,  Canning,  O'Connell,  and  Wellington, 
had  all  attempted  the  slaughter  of  a  foe." 

Profanity  was  almost  universal,  "  Erskine  swore 
at  the  bar.  Lord  Thurlow  swore  on  the  bench. 
The  King  swore  incessantly.  Ladies  swore  orally 
and  in  their  letters.  The  chaplain  cursed  the 
sailors,  because  it  made  them  listen  more  attentively 
to  his  admonition."  Obscene  books  were  exposed 
for  sale  by  the  side  of  bibles  and  prayer-books. 

Education  was  limited  in  its  range  and  extent, 
and  only  the  more  wealthy  could  enjoy  its  benefits. 
In  1818,  more  than  one  half  the  children  in  England 
were  without  school  advantages.  In  manufacturing 
districts,  forty  per  cent,  of  the  men  and  sixty-five 
per  cent,  of  the  women  could  not  write  their  own 
names. 

Penny  postage,  first  proposed  by  Rowland  Hill  in 
1837,  adopted  by  Act  of  Parliament  in  1839,  and 
followed  since  then  by  every  civilized  country  in  the 
world,  has  proved  to  be  a  great  adjunct  in  the  edu- 
cation of  the  people. 


276  The  Life  of 

The  freedom  and  expansion  of  the  press  during- 
this  century  have  also  been  a  great  power  for  the 
enlightenment  of  mankind.  True,  it  has  not  been  an 
unmixed  good,  but  let  us  hope  the  good  has  been, 
and  will  continue  to  be  in  the  ascendant. 

Canals,  before  the  days  of  raih-oads  and  steam- 
ships, did  much  for  the  transportation  of  merchandise 
and  intercommunication  of  the  people.  The  Erie 
Canal,  363  miles  in  length,  commenced  in  1817,  and 
finished  in  1825,  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  first 
impulses  given  to  New  York  City  in  its  ascendancy 
over  every  other  city  in  the  United  States.  On  ac- 
count of  its  great  cost  many  of  the  people  were  op- 
posed to  it;  "but  in  1866,  it  was  ascertained  that 
besides  enlarging  many  of  the  principal  cities,  and 
adding  to  the  comfort  and  wealth  of  nearly  all  the 
people  of  the  State,  it  had  returned  into  the  public 
treasury  $23,500,000  above  all  its  cost,  including 
principle,   interest,    repairs,   and    superintendence." 

In  this  same  year,  1825,  New  York  City  was  first 
lighted,  partially  only,  with  gas. 

The  Suez  Canal,  opened  in  1870,  was  used  by 
only  486  vessels,  with  a  total  net  tonnage  of  436,609, 
but  its  use  was  steadily  increased,  until  in  1891,  it 
rose  to  8,698,777.  When  the  canal  was  opened,  it 
had  cost  $100,000,000,  that  is,  $1,000,000  a  mile, 
and  since  then  $40,000,000  more  have  been  ex- 
pended in  improvements.     These  are  large  amounts. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  277 

but  the  caual  pays  annually  from  $4,000,000  to 
$5,000,000  over  the  interest  of  its  bonded  debt. 

The  introduction  of  railroads  into  England  and  the 
United  States  marks  a  great  era  in  the  progress  of 
these  two  nations,  not  to  say  that  of  the  whole 
world,  though  the  event  is  of  comparatively  recent 
date,  as  the  following  account  taken  from  a  recent 
issue  of  the  New  York  Tribune  goes  to  show : 

"  The  Chicago  Record  says  that  Edward  Entwistle 
who  has  lived  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  for  forty  years, 
ran  the  first  passenger  engine.  He  was  born  at  Til- 
sey's  Banks,  Lancashire,  England,  in  1815,  and  was 
apprenticed  to  the  Duke  of  Bridgewater,  who  had 
large  machine  shops  at  Manchester.  The  first  rail- 
road for  general  passenger  and  freight  business  was 
completed  in  1831,  between  Manchester  and  Liver- 
pool, a  distance  of  thirty-one  miles.  The  Rocket, 
the  first  locomotive  or  passenger  engine,  was  built 
under  the  direction  and  according  to  the  plans  of 
George  Stephenson,  in  the  works  where  young  En- 
twistle was  serving  as  an  apprentice.  Stephenson 
engaged  Entwistle  as  his  assistant  in  the  engine. 
The  line  being  opened  for  general  traflSc,  young  En- 
twistle was  put  in  charge  of  the  Rocket,  and  for  two 
years  made  two  round  trips  every  day  between 
Liverpool  and  Manchester,  one  in  the  forenoon  and 
the  other  in  the  afternoon.  He  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  1837." 


278  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

When  Mr.  Plant  was  nine  years  old,  there  were 
only  three  miles  of  railroad  in  the  United  States. 
They  were  completed  in  1827.  Now  there  are  173,- 
453  miles,  and  the  speed  of  trains  has  been  increased 
from  ten  miles  an  hour  to  more  than  seventy  miles. 
The  sleeping-  and  parlor-cars  have  made  travel  one 
of  the  great  luxuries  of  this  most  luxuriant  century. 
The  first  ocean  steamer  that  crossed  the  Atlantic  was 
the  Savannah^  which  made  the  trip  to  Europe  in 
the  year  1819,  the  year  Mr.  Plant  was  born,  and  in 
1838,  the  first  regular  line  of  Atlantic  steamers  was 
established. 


^"^ 

^M 

^^' 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Railroads  Established— Engineering  Progress— Steel,  Iron  Steam- 
ships—Horse Railroad— Kerosene  Oil  in  Use  1830— Sewing  Ma- 
chines—Agricultural Implements  1831-51— Sanitary  Progress- 
Philanthropic  and  Christian  Progress— Higher  Education- 
Medical  Progress — Humane  Care  of  the  Insane — Sailors'  and 
Seamen's  Home— World's  Fairs— Religious  Reciprocity— Arbi- 
tration—Numerous  Inventions  and  Discoveries— Concluding  Re- 
marks. 

ENGINEERING  skill  lias  greatly  improved,  and 
by  its  daring  achievements  has  added  much  to 
the  progress  of  the  world  during  the  last  forty  years. 
This  is  seen  in  the  construction  of  railroads  of  vast 
dimensions,  four  of  which  span  our  own  continent, 
and  stretch  over  vast  prairies,  deep  chasms,  and  great 
rivers,  penetrating  through  the  Rocky  Mountains, 
seemingly  impassable  as  they  rear  their  snow-capped 
peaks  to  the  clouds.  The  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel  con- 
necting the  railways  of  France  and  Italy,  on  the  di- 
rect railway  route  from  Paris  to  Turin,  is  a  marvel 
of  engineering  skill.  It  is  seven  miles,  four  and  three 
fourths  furlongs  in  length.  Fourteen  years  passed 
during  its  construction,  and  it  cost  about  six  millions 
and  a  half  of  dollars.  It  was  begun  in  1857  and 
completed  in  1871.  The  Saint  Gothard  Tunnel 
279 


280  The  Life  of 

which  runs  through  a  section  of  the  Alps  to  Italy, 
six  thousand  feet  below  the  top  of  these  mountains, 
is  another  great  achievement  of  engineering  daring. 
The  work  consumed  ten  years'  time,  the  labor  of 
over  three  thousand  men  daily,  and  cost  over  eleven 
millions  of  dollars.  The  Sutro  tunnel,  in  our  own 
Rocky  Mountains,  was  another  grand  feat  of  me- 
chanical progress  during  the  last  half  of  the  century. 
In  1830,  the  first  steel  pen  was  made  and  the  first 
iron  steamship  was  built.  One  year  before  this,  the 
first  lucifer  match  was  made  ;  and  nine  years  after- 
wards, envelopes  were  first  used.  In  1826,  the  first 
horse-railroad  was  built,  and  kerosene  oil  was  first 
used  for  lighting  purposes.  In  1846,  Howe's  sewing- 
machine  was  given  to  the  public,  but  it  took  eight 
years'  hard  work  to  convince  the  public  that  the  new 
invention  was  of  any  great  value.  Many  other  sew- 
ing-machines have  since  come  into  use,  but  all  are 
modifications  of  Howe's.  They  have  revolutionized 
the  whole  "  make  up "  of  men's  and  women's  wear- 
ing apparel,  not  to  mention  horse  harness,  upholster- 
ing, and  all  departments  of  life  where  fine  stitching 
is  called  for.  The  delicate  services  of  this  wonderful 
machine  have  increased  certain  industries  a  thousand- 
fold, though  at  first,  like  all  other  improved  methods 
of  work,  it  was  supposed  to  be  the  destroyer  of  these 
industries,  and  to  bring  untold  miseries  upon  all  who 
lived  by  the  needle.     The  manufacture  of  these  ma- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  281 

chines,  sales,  and  repairs  have  employed  tens  of 
thousands  of  people,  and  added  millions  to  the 
wealth  of  a  nation  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  comfort 
and  betterment  of  the  life  of  the  people. 

Agriculture  has  made  great  strides  during  the  last 
half  century  by  reason  of  the  increasing  use  of  scien- 
tific methods.  Rotation  of  crops  and  artificial  man- 
ures have  preserved  the  laud  from  exhaustion  and 
maintained  it  at  a  high  power  of  production.  Ma- 
chineiy  also  has  added  largely  to  the  facilities  for 
its  cultivation.  Ploughing,  sowing,  reaping,  thresh- 
ing, and  other  machines  have  made  it  possible  for  the 
farmer  of  comparatively  limited  means  to  produce 
immense  quantities  of  food  for  man  and  beast,  so 
that  starvation  in  almost  any  part  of  the  globe  can 
be  averted  by  the  over-production  in  other  parts. 
In  1855,  at  a  great  trial  of  threshing-,  reaping-,  and 
mowing-machines  in  France,  the  American  machines 
gained  a  complete  victoiy.  In  1862,  the  United 
States  Government  established  the  Agricultural  De- 
partment at  Washington.  Agricultural  societies 
and  colleges,  in  many  of  the  States,  have  greatly 
advanced  this  most  important  department  of  the  na- 
tion's strength.  It  is  as  true  now  as  when  the  wise 
Solomon  spoke  it,  "  The  profit  of  the  earth  is  for 
all :  the  king  himself  is  served  by  the  field."  A  better 
knowledge  of  agricultural  chemistry  has  contributed 
much  to  the  more  pi'ofitable  uses  of  the  soil.     The 


282  The  Life  of 

sanitary  couditions  of  liviug  have  greatly  improved, 
especially  among  the  poor,  during  the  last  half-cen- 
turj.  Underground  sewerage  in  cities,  drainaire  of 
swamj^y  grounds,  removal  of  the  cesspool  which 
often  poisoned  the  well  which  supplied  the  family 
for  cooking  and  drinking,  and  the  introduction  of 
pure  water  in  abundance,  cleaner  streets,  and  better 
homes  for  the  working-classes,  have  lessened  the 
death  rate  about  one  half.  From  McKeuzie  we 
learn  that  "  In  1842,  the  average  length  of  life  among 
the  gentry  and  professional  men  of  London,  was 
forty-four  years  :  in  the  laboring-class  it  was  twenty- 
two  years.  Filth  and  bad  ventilation  cost  England 
more  lives  annually  than  she  had  lost  by  death  in 
battle  or  by  wounds  during  the  bloodiest  year  of 
her  history.  The  annual  waste  of  adult  life  from 
causes  which  ought  to  be  removed  was  estimated  at 
from  thirty  to  forty  thousand."  Food  is  abundant 
and  of  great  variety  in  our  favored  land,  and  the  can- 
ning industry  suj)plies  the  luscious  fruits  of  summer 
at  low  prices  throughout  the  entire  year. 

One  noteworthy  feature  of  the  progress  of  the 
last  fifty  years  is  that  it  touches  all  classes ;  the  work- 
ingman  especially  shares  largely  its  advantages. 
The  general  and  rapid  diffusion  of  knowledge,  by 
means  of  the  greatly  improved  press,  is  one  of  the 
marvels  of  this  most  wondei-ful  age.  The  "  Hoe  " 
octuple  press  can  print  96,000  copies  of  a  newspaper 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  283 

per  hour,  or  1600  every  minute ;  the  paper  travels 
through  the  press  at  the  rate  of  32^  miles  an  hour  ; 
is  printed,  pasted,  cut,  folded,  counted,  and  delivered 
in  bundles  of  twenty-five,  automatically.  Three  of 
these  presses  would  be  able  to  print  748,000  eight- 
page  sheets,  equal  to  forty-two  tons  per  hour  of 
printed  matter. 

Mr.  Plant  might  stand  on  the  roof  of  his  office  at 
Twenty-third  Street  in  New  York  City,  and  say, 
"  How  changed  is  this  city  since  I  first  saw  it  when 
a  boy."  It  had  no  horse-cars,  no  trolley-cars,  no 
cable-cars,  no  elevated  roads,  no  large  hotels,  no 
buildings  of  more  than  three  stories  in  height,  few 
stores  more  than  twenty-five  feet  wide.  It  had  no 
telegraph,  telephone,  phonograph,  or  electric  lights, 
— only  oil  lamps, — no  asphalt  pavements.  No  steam- 
cars,  no  photograph  galleries,  no  sewing-machines  or 
type- writers,  or  bicycles,  or  horseless  carriages,  or 
public  baths.  No  time-lock  safes,  stem-winding 
watches.  No  submarine  cables,  or  Bessemer  steel, 
or  great  suspension  bridges.  In  1820,  the  popula- 
tion of  New  York  City  was  only  123,706;  now  it 
is  over  a  million  and  a  half.  In  the  same  time  he 
has  seen  the  population  of  the  country  grow  from 
9,628,131,  (of  whom  1,528,064  were  slaves)  to  up- 
wards of  70,000,000,  and  he  has  seen  the  inaugura- 
tion of  nineteen  of  the  twenty-five  Presidents  of  the 
United  States.     The  territory  of  the  United  States 


284  The  Life  of 

Las  nearly  doubled  duriug  bis  lifetime,  and  its  ac- 
cumulated wealth  can  hardly  be  measured  during 
the  same  period.  The  development  of  our  coal 
mines,  iron  mines,  gold  and  silver  mines,  oil  wells, 
natural  gas  stored  up  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth — 
these,  too,  have  made  giant  strides.  The  great  rail- 
road industries  of  the  country,  furnishing  w^ork  for 
hundreds  of  thousands  ;  the  increase  and  enlarge- 
ment of  our  manufactoi'ies,  the  great  cities  that  have 
been  built,  some  of  them  burned  and  rebuilt,  as  was 
the  case  with  Boston,  Portland,  and  Chicago ;  all 
these  have  added  to  the  enormous  wealth  of  the 
nation.  In  1831,  a  dozen  families  around  Fort 
Dearborn  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  present  city 
of  Chicago.  Minneapolis  this  summer  removed  its 
first  house,  built  in  1849,  to  a  more  convenient 
place,  to  be  kept  as  an  heirloom  of  that  city  of  phe- 
nomenal growth.  With  the  increase  of  wealth,  large 
fortunes  have  been  accumulated  and  have  enabled 
their  earners  and  owners  to  build  the  large  railroads 
which  have  done  so  much  for  the  development  and 
progress  of  the  country ;  to  lay  ocean  cables,  and 
work  large  mines,  providing  work  and  wages  for 
millions  of  men. 

The  humane  and  philanthropic  progress  of  this 
period  is  seen  in  the  reforms  instituted  in  prisons. 
Up  to  the  present  century  punishment  for  crime 
seems  to  have  been  the  leading  idea  of  prison  man- 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  285 

agement.  Instruction  in  the  common-school  elemen- 
tary branches  of  education  was  introduced  with 
encouraging  results.  Then  libraries  were  established, 
and  moral  and  religious  instruction  tended  greatly  to 
the  reformation  of  the  criminal.  Wholesome  rules 
and  regulations  were  adopted.  Various  kinds  of 
work,  adapted  to  the  prisoners'  intelligence  and 
strength,  were  given.  Rewards  were  apportioned 
for  good  behavior,  which  shortened  the  period  of 
confinement.  Better  classification  was  made  of  the 
inmates,  and  generally  just  and  kind  treatment  was 
instituted.  All  this  had  an  uplifting  influence  on 
the  crushed  and  degraded  men,  and  turned  many 
from  being  the  enemies  of  society  to  be  its  friends, 
and  to  appreciate  the  efforts  made  for  their  recovery 
from  lives  of  vice.  Reformatories  for  youthful  offen- 
ders caused  their  separation  from  old  and  hardened 
criminals,  and  caused  many  of  them  to  become  useful 
members  of  society.  The  first  of  these  was  "The 
House  of  Refuge  "  on  Randal's  Island,  in  New  York 
City. 

The  "Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals,"  established  by  Henry  Bergh  in  New  York, 
proved  to  be  the  seed  from  which  germinated  hun- 
dreds of  other  similar  societies  throughout  our  coun- 
try. Later,  the  "Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children  "  has  saved  many  an  unprotected 
child  from  inhuman  treatment,  often  received  from 


286  The  Life  of 

its  own  parents.  It  is  by  far  the  best  age  of  the 
world  for  children.  Many  millions  of  dollars  are 
invested  in  the  manufacture  of  toys  and  in  prepar- 
ation of  books,  papers,  and  magazines  especially 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  children.  Life-saving 
stations  along  the  coast  of  dangerous  seas  have  res- 
cued thousands  of  lives  from  a  watery  grave,  and 
saved  many  millions  worth  of  property.  Travel  by 
sea  and  land  has  become  one  of  the  greatest  luxuries 
and  means  of  education  in  this  most  enlightened  cen- 
tury. The  circumnavigation  of  the  globe  is  no  longer 
the  daring  feat  of  the  skilled  mariner.  The  human 
race  is  coming  closer  together,  and  is  massing  into 
cities.  Clubs  are  being  formed  for  the  discussion  of 
literary,  scientific,  aesthetic,  historic,  political,  dra- 
matic, musical,  and  social  topics,  and  admit  to  their 
membership  young  and  old  of  both  sexes. 

It  is  also  an  age  of  conventions, — scientific,  politi- 
cal, and  religious.  Christianity  is  exerting  a  mighty 
influence  in  various  forms.  Throughout  the  world 
this  is  shown  by  the  multitudes  it  has  lifted  out  of 
barbarism  in  India,  China,  Japan,  Australia,  Africa, 
and  made  them  law-abiding,  peace-loving,  and  self- 
governing  Christian  peoples.  Cannibalism  and  human 
sacrifice  have  now  disappeared  from  the  earth,  with 
many  other  practices  too  horrible  to  name.  For  the 
care  of  the  poor  and  unfortunate,  New  York  City 
alone  spends  annually  more  than  $6,000,000.     It  has 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  287 

homes  for  the  aged,  for  orphans  and  for  half-orphaned 
children,  also  for  crippled,  and  the  deformed.  Poor 
women  about  to  become  mothers  may  go  to  a  suit- 
able institute  where  medical  attendance  and  trained 
nursing  are  furnished  free,  or  they  may  have  both 
free  in  their  own  homes.  The  advance  in  the  higher 
education,  as  well  as  great  improvement  in  our  com- 
mon-school system,  is  a  marked  feature  of  our  times. 
Most  of  our  colleges  have  greatly  raised  the  course 
of  study,  and  several  have  become  fully  equipped 
universities,  while  other  new  universities  have  been 
added  to  the  number  ;  one  in  Chicago,  two  in  Wash- 
ington City,  one  in  California,  and  one  in  Baltimore. 
Probably  the  most  marked  feature  in  the  education 
of  our  time  is  the  throwing  open  the  doors  of  so  many 
colleges  and  universities  to  women.  These  have 
flocked  thither  to  take  equal  stand  with  the  men,  who 
have  had  a  monopoly  of  these  privileges  since  col- 
leges and  universities  were  founded  :  and  they  have 
entered  the  learned  professions  of  medicine,  law, 
and  divinity,  professions  once  thought  to  be  forever 
barred  against  their  sex.  Co-education,  the  higher 
education  of  women,  and  their  asjjiration  to  lead  a 
professional  life,  fifty  years  ago  would  have  been 
considered  the  dream  of  fanatics  only.  Some  even 
now  doubt  the  wisdom  of  the  movement,  but,  good 
or  bad,  it  is  here  to  stay,  and  will  advance  with  ever 
increasing  velocity. 


288  The  Life  of 

There  are  homes  for  incurables  where  their  hope- 
less condition  receives  such  treatment  as  not  unfre- 
quently  returns  them  to  their  homes  restored  to  a 
measure  of  health.  The  blind,  deaf,  and  dumb  are 
kindly  cared  for,  educated,  and  made  useful  members 
of  society.  That  class  once  considered  hopeless, 
women  fallen  from  virtue,  are  sought  out,  cared  for, 
and  restored  frequently  to  society,  and  often  become 
rescuers  of  their  own  sex  from  like  degredation.  Dis- 
charged criminals  are  looked  after  and  provided  with 
temporary  homes,  and  work  is  sought  out  for  them. 
The  children  of  the  street  are  taken  up,  taught,  and 
placed  in  homes  in  the  West,  away  from  the  city 
temptations  that  were  destroying  them.  For  young 
men,  and  now  for  young  women,  coming  from  the 
country  to  our  large  cities,  the  Christian  Associa- 
tions find  safe  lodgings,  work,  schools,  and  churches, 
and  throw  around  them  every  safeguard.  The  read- 
ing-room, gymnasium,  lecture  course,  evening  classes, 
and  devotional  meetings  are  all  intellectual  and  moral 
forces  in  character  building,  and  in  preparation  for 
the  great  work  of  life. 

The  higher  education  of  medical  science  has 
made  rapid  progress  during  the  last  century,  and 
especially  during  the  last  half  of  it.  Health  boards 
have  done  much  in  the  way  of  sanitation  to  prevent 
disease  and  protect  communities  against  epidemics 
and  virulent  plagues  that  have  scourged  the  world 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  289 

for  centuries.  The  use  of  anaesthetics  has  saved  an 
incalculable  amount  of  agony,  and  has  greatly  aided 
physicians  in  improved  methods  of  surgery.  Opera- 
tions are  now  performed,  with  almost  universal 
success,  which  would  not  have  been  thought  of 
fifty  years  ago.  Improved  medical  apparatus  and 
instruments  for  examining  the  body  have  proved 
of  great  value  in  the  treatment  of  bronchial  and 
internal  affections.  The  Roentgen  Ray,  which  can 
bring  to  light  the  whole  inside  of  a  man,  is  the 
latest  and  greatest  discovery  of  the  period  under 
consideration.  The  discovery  of  disease-producing 
germs  or  microbes  is  worthy  of  mention  in  this 
connection.  Pasteur's  cure  for  hydrophobia  has 
lessened  the  dread  of  one  of  the  most  terrible  mala- 
dies that  has  afflicted  the  human  family. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  humane  treatment  of 
those  most  unfortunate  beings  who  have  been  de- 
prived of  their  reason  would  be  found  even  in 
the  least  civilized  period  of  the  world's  history, 
but  alas  !  the  opposite  has  been  true.  Until  within 
a  comparatively  recent  date  it  was  customary  to 
confine  these  poor  creatures  in  jail,  along  with  the 
vilest  criminals,  a  custom  still  prevailing  in  some 
places.  "In  1826,  a  young  clergyman,  rendered  in- 
sane by  overwork,  was  found  in  the  Bridewell 
Prison  of  New  York,  herded  with  ruffians  and  mur- 
derers.    At  that  time  there  was  in  the  prisons  of 


290  The  Life  of 

Massachusetts  thirty  lunatics.  One  had  been  in 
his  cell  nine  years,  had  a  wreath  of  rags  around 
his  body,  and  another  around  his  neck.  This  was 
all  his  clothing.  He  had  no  bed,  chair,  or  bench ; 
a  heap  of  filthy  straw  like  the  nest  of  a  swine  was 
in  the  corner.  He  had  built  a  bird's-nest  of  mud  in 
the  iron  grate  of  his  den."  Many  were  chained, 
kept  in  cages,  "  whipped,  scourged,  ironed,  shut  in 
close  cells,  and  left  for  years  in  filth,  naked,  hungiy, 
exposed  to  bitter  cold,  frozen,"  had  lost  toes  or  feet, 
and  suffered  torture  until  death  ended  their  misery. 
All  this  is  happily  changed,  and  medical  skill  and 
intelligent,  humane  care,  have  taken  its  place,  with 
some  exceptions  perhaps.  Sailors  were  once  the 
legitimate  prey  of  the  worst  class  of  men  and  women 
the  world  ever  produced,  when  they  landed  in  large 
cities,  often  after  most  tempestuous  voyages,  and 
dangers  most  terrible  to  contemplate.  In  so-called 
sailor's  boarding  houses  they  were  drugged,  robbed, 
stripped  naked,  and  thrown  out  on  the  street  at  mid- 
night to  groan  and  suffer  and  die. 

Seamen's  Friends  Societies  and  Sailors'  Homes, 
with  hospitals,  libraries,  Christian  ministry  of  godly 
men,  and  kindly  care  for  the  sick,  disabled,  or  aged 
sailor  until  he  enters  the  haven  of  eternal  rest,  is 
now  in  all  Christian  countries  the  provision  made 
for  this  brave  man  to  whom  the  world  owes  so  much. 
Similar  provision  is  made  for  the  old  or  disabled 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  291 

soldier  who  lias  fought  his  country's  battles.  The 
"  Soldier's  Home "  is  one  of  the  institutions  for 
which  America  has  reason  to  be  proud. 

The  World's  Fairs,  first  organized  by  Prince  Al- 
bert in  London  in  the  year  1851  and  continued  in 
different  countries  until  the  present  time,  the  last 
and  greatest  of  them  all  held  at  Chicago  in  the 
United  States  in  1893,  have  done  much  to  stimulate 
progress  in  every  department  of  life,  and  to 
strengthen  the  spirit  of  friendly  reciprocity  that 
should  bind  the  human  family  closer  together  in 
mutual  helpfulness  and  good- will.  The  interna- 
tional congress  of  all  religions  held  at  the  Chicago 
Fair,  the  first  and  only  congress  of  the  kind  ever 
held,  was  in  the  line  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God  and 
the  Brotherhood  of  Man. 

The  bitterness  of  the  sectarian  spirit  among  all 
Christian  denominations  is  happily  passing  away, 
and  a  desire  for  closer  relations,  even  for  a  union  of 
all  peoples  of  the  Christian  faiths,  is  fast  taking  its 
place.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  through  its 
head,  Leo  XIIL,  and  the  Episcopal  Church  through 
its  Bishops  have  both  expressed  their  desire  for  the 
union  of  all  Christian  peoples.  Arbitration  for  the 
settlement  of  disputes  between  labor  and  capital, 
and  even  between  nations,  is  advancing  towards  a 
blessed  consummation,  and  the  day  cannot  be  far 
distant  when  peace  and  good-will  among  men  shall 


292  The  Life  of 

become  universal,  and  Jesus  of  Nazai-eth  shall  reign, 
Prince  of  Peace  and  King  of  Nations  through  the 
whole  world.  Who  knows  but  that  the  six  hundred 
and  one  thousand  miles  of  telegraph  in  the  United 
States  and  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
miles  of  submarine  telegraph  in  the  world,  shall 
soon  flash  the  news  round  the  globe,  "  The  Lord  is 
come." 

The  f  ollomng  item  taken  by  permission  of  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons  from  The  Last  Quarter  of  tlie  Cen- 
tury, by  Andrews,  is  significant  in  this  connection  : 

"  During  the  great  Electrical  Exposition  in  New 
York  City,  May,  1896,  a  message  was  transmitted 
round  the  world  and  back  in  fifty-five  minutes.  It 
was  dictated  by  Hon.  Chauncey  Depew,  and  read — 
*  God  creates,  Nature  treasures.  Science  utilizes  elec- 
trical power  for  the  grandeur  of  nations  and  the 
peace  of  the  world.'  Starting  at  eight  thirty-five 
these  words  sped  over  the  land  lines  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, thence  back  to  Canso,  Nova  Scotia,  where  they 
plunged  under  the  sea  to  London.  A  click  of  the 
key  four  minutes  later  announced  the  completion  of 
this  part  of  the  journey. 

"  Cannon  were  fired  in  honor  of  the  achievement, 
while  the  throng  on  the  floor  of  the  Exhibition 
Building  cheered. 

"  Meantime,  the  general  manager  of  the  Western 
Union  Company  had  despatched  the  same  message 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  293 

over  his  lines  to  Los  Angeles,  Galveston,  City  of 
Mexico,  Valparaiso,  Buenos  Ayres,  Pernambuco, 
across  the  Atlantic  to  Lisbon,  and  back  to  New 
York  by  way  of  London,  a  Journey  of  ten  thousand 
miles,  in  eleven  and  one  half  minutes. 

"At  nine  twenty -five,  just  fifty  minutes  from  the 
start,  the  receiving  instrument  clicked  and  Mr.  Edi- 
son, for  the  nonce  again  a  simple  telegraph  operator 
as  of  yore,  copied  from  it  the  Depew  message. 

"  It  had  travelled  from  London  to  Lisbon,  thence 
to  Suez,  Aden,  Bombay,  Madras,  Singapore,  Hong 
Kong,  Shanghai,  Nagasaki,  and  Tokio,  returning  by 
the  same  route  to  New  York,  having  traversed  a 
distance  of  27,500  miles." 

We  have  thus  tabulated,  in  the  briefest  manner, 
a  few  of  the  advances  made  in  various  departments 
of  life  during  the  period  covered  by  this  biography  : 
and  we  have  done  so  because  Mr.  Plant  loves  to 
recount  the  progress  of  the  human  family.  He  has 
kept  in  touch  with  it  all,  enjoyed  it  all,  and  has 
himself  contributed  no  small  share  to  its  further- 
ance. It  enhances  one's  estimate  of  the  marvellous 
progress  of  the  age  in  which  we  are  living  when 
we  think  how  much  has  been  accomplished  iu  the 
comparatively  brief  period  of  one  life.  It  gives 
ground  for  believing,  too,  that  the  next  decade  mil 
surpass  any  that  has  preceded  it,  and  that  the 
twentieth  century  will  outstrip   the  nineteenth  as 


294  The  Life  of 

far  as  the  nineteenth  has  outstripped  any  of  its 
predecessors.  It  inspires  the  wish,  also,  that  the 
subject  of  this  biography  may  live  to  enjoy  much 
of  the  world's  era  of  peace  and  progress  in  science, 
art,  industry,  philanthropy,  and  Christian  allevia- 
tion and  uplifting  power.  May  this  very  imperfect 
history  of  a  very  instructive  life  prove  helpful  to 
those  taking  their  place  in  the  onward  march  of  the 
race  towards  its  great  and  final  destiny. 

The  wish  expressed  above  for  the  continued  health 
and  life  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  was 
wi'itten  one  year  ago,  and  what  follows  affords 
strong  hope  of  its  realization. 

The  winter  after  the  Atlanta  Exposition  found 
Mr.  Plant  with  signs  of  failing  health,  somewhat 
alleviated  by  his  sojourn  in  the  South  ;  but  on  his 
arrival  in  New  York  in  the  spring  of  1896,  he  was 
taken  violently  ill  and  was  constantly  under  the 
doctor's  care  for  four  or  five  months.  The  next 
winter  he  passed  in  the  South,  resulting  in  marked 
evidences  of  improved  health.  The  next  spring, 
however,  another  malady  developed,  greatly  impair- 
ing health  and  threatening  life  for  several  weeks. 
Early  in  the  spring  he  had  so  far  recovered  that 
he  went  by  rail  to  San  Francisco,  in  his  own  pri- 
vate car,  thence  by  ocean  to  Japan  and  Chiua,  and, 
retm-ning  to  Japan,  spent  a  large  part  of  the  sum- 
mer there,  from  whence  he  sailed  for  San  Francisco 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  295 

and  returned  to  New  York  early  in  November, 
nearly  all  evidences  of  past  diseases  having  disap- 
peared, and  lie  has  passed  his  seventy-eight  birth- 
day in  apparently  good  health. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  honors,  courtesies,  and 
kindnesses  were  liberally  tendered  him  throughout  his 
whole  trip  in  the  East,  which  he  enjoyed  to  the  full. 

The  following  incident  is  one  among  many  that 
occurred  to  Mr.  Plant  during  his  very  interesting 
tour  in  the  land  of  the  Rising  Sun,  and  shows  how 
promptly  he  improved  every  opportunity  that  came 
in  his  way,  not  only  for  learning  all  about  the  cus- 
toms, manners,  and  ways  of  the  Japanese,  but  of 
recalling  old  acquaintances,  and  renewing  old  friend- 
ships of  his  early  boyhood  in  his  native  State,  and 
town  of  Branford.  On  his  return  voyage  via  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  the  steamer  stopped  for  a  few 
hours  at  Honolulu.  Mr.  Plant  at  once  set  out  to 
find  a  Branford  lady  who  had  long  been  a  resi- 
dent in  these  islands.  Soon  his  search  was  rewarded 
by  finding  Mrs.  Mary  Parker,  widow  of  a  missionary 
of  that  name,  and  now  in  the  ninety-fourth  year  of 
her  age.  Mr.  Plant  was  present  at  the  marriage 
of  this  good  lady  in  Branford,  Connecticut,  when  only 
a  boy  of  seven,  and  doubtless  some  of  the  happy 
boyhood  emotions  of  that  occasion  came  back  to 
him  when  he  clasped  the  hand  of  this  aged  woman 
so  far  away  from  their  native  Branford. 


296  The  Life  of 

HENRY    B.    PLANT   IN    WAR    AND    IN    PEACE. 

Few  men  are  more  blessed  with  a  peaceful  dis- 
position and  an  inborn  dislike  of  the  antagonisms 
that  arise  so  frequently  between  men  and  nations 
than  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Nor  has  it  fallen 
to  the  lot  of  many  to  take  such  an  important  part  in 
the  two  greatest  wars  of  our  country.  In  the  for- 
mer chapters  of  this  biography  we  have  spoken  of 
the  valuable  services  rendered  to  Vjoth  sides  of  the 
contestants  in  our  Civil  War  by  the  Plant  System, 
then  only  in  its  embryo  state  of  development.  At 
the  banquet  given  to  Mr.  Plant  at  the  Atlanta  Ex- 
position we  heard,  from  some  of  the  representative 
men  of  the  South,  patriotic  speeches  full  of  native 
eloquence,  that  thrilled  us  in  every  fibre  of  our 
being.  "  Mr.  Plant,"  said  one  of  the  distinguished 
speakei'S,  "you  have  done  more  to  bring  the  North 
and  South  together  than  any  other  man  living." 
Mr.  Plant  has  been  privileged  to  have  a  lai-ge  part 
in  the  present  conflict  that  has  completely  cemented 
the  whole  nation  as  never  before.  This  is  by  no 
means  the  smallest  benefit  that  has  come  to  our 
country  out  of  this  great  conflict,  for  it  is  as  true 
now  as  when  it  was  uttered  by  one  of  the  greatest 
American  statesmen,  "  United  we  stand,  divided  we 
fall."  The  following  description  of  the  facilities 
afforded  for   shipment  at  Port  Tampa  is  from  the 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  297 

pen  of  one  who  is  well  acquainted  with  every  foot 
of  land  and  water  about  which  he  writes. 

"  The  war  with  Spain  directed  attention  more  to 
Port  Tampa  than  any  one  place  in  the  United  States. 
This  was  for  the  reason  that  the  largest  military  ex- 
pedition that  ever  left  the  shores  of  the  United 
States  was  loaded  and  sailed  from  the  docks  there. 
The  w^ork  was  done  in  a  very  short  time,  consider- 
ing the  lack  of  experience  of  the  government  officials 
in  charge. 

"So  much  has  been  said  and  written  about  the 
loading  of  General  Shafter's  expedition,  with  its 
fleet  of  thirty-six  steamships,  that  the  public  will 
appreciate  some  detailed  information  about  the  im- 
mense facilities  which  are  found  ready  for  use  at 
Port  Tampa.  This  was  through  the  foi'esight  and 
business  sagacity  of  the  head  of  the  Plant  System, 
for  he  built  largely  for  the  gi'eat  business  that  must 
pass  through  that  port  at  no  distant  day. 

"  The  railroad  yards  of  over  thirty-six  miles  of 
track,  at  Port  Tampa,  Port  Tampa  City,  and  Tampa, 
belong  to  the  Plant  System,  and  have  a  capacity  of 
over  two  thousand  cars,  leaving  working  room  for 
all  the  business  that  this  number  of  cars  would 
bring  to  the  place.  The  tracks  are  perfectly  ar- 
ranged, and  experienced  railroad  men  say  that  no 
railroad  yard  in  the  South  will  compare  with  this 
for  conveniences  in  handling  a  big  business.     The 


298  The  Life  of 

business  is  in  the  hands  of  railroad  men  of  experi- 
ence, and  no  delays  were  traceable  to  them.  Be- 
tween Tampa  and  Port  Tampa  is  a  stretch  of  nine 
miles.  To  illustrate  the  pei-fect  system  employed 
in  handling  the  business,  it  is  only  necessary  to 
say  that  from  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  until 
11:40  at  night,  twenty-six  passenger  trains  passed 
over  this  nine  miles  every  day.  Besides  this,  the 
freight  trains  numbered  more  than  this,  comprising 
the  various  sections  of  regular  trains  and  the  large 
number  of  troop  and  supply-trains  for  the  move- 
ment.    There  was  no  delay  and  not  an  accident. 

"  Of  the  facilities  at  the  docks,  as  much  can  be 
said.  It  is  the  only  port  in  the  country  where 
vessels  drawing  twenty-four  feet  of  water  can  come 
alongside  and  load  in  such  numbers.  There  is 
room  for  twenty-four  vessels  of  that  draught,  three 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  to  lie  end  for  end, 
and  receive  cargoes  at  the  same  time.  These  steam- 
ers are  all  loaded  from  the  railroad  tracks,  just 
twenty  feet  removed  from  the  edge  of  the  pier,  and 
nothing  stands  in  the  way  of  the  quick  work.  Ves- 
sels of  less  length  make  it  possible  to  increase  the 
number,  and  at  one  time  there  were  thirteen  vessels 
loading  end  to  end  at  one  side  of  the  pier.  Accord- 
ing to  this  calculation,  thirty-two  vessels  could  be 
accommodated.  At  these  docks  are  to  be  found 
berths  for  phosphate  vessels  where  their  cargoes  are 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  299 

loaded  from  electric  elevators,  which  are  the  latest 
improved.  Just  across  the  slip  is  the  government 
coal  dock,  and  here  are  electric  elevators  for  hand, 
ling  this  business.  A  large  amount  of  coal  is  now 
stored  in  these  docks  for  the  government. 

"  It  was  not  necessary  to  provide  any  of  these  facili- 
ties for  the  especial  purpose  of  handling  the  gov- 
ernment war  business.  They  were  all  there  and 
in  use  before  the  war,  and  the  government  used 
them  in  sending  off  this  fleet  of  thirty-six  vessels, 
under  convoy  of  a  large  number  of  war  vessels.  It 
was  one  of  the  most  imposing  sights  of  the  age  to 
see  this  great  fleet  steaming  down  the  bay ;  flags  flying 
and  bands  playing,  and  sixteen  thousand  American 
soldiers  cheering  as  they  felt  the  vessels  move  over 
the  waters  of  Tampa  Bay,  all  bound  for  a  victorious 
campaign  against  the  enemy. 

''  The  Plant  System  has  done  well  its  part  in  the 
great  modern  war,  and  is  equally  well  prepared  to 
do  its  part  in  carrying  on  the  great  commerce  be- 
tween the  United  States,  Cuba,  the  West  India 
Islands,  and  all  of  the  South  American  countries." 

The   Marine  Journal  of  New  York  of  July  9, 
1898,  has  the  following  editorial : 
"Poet  Tampa — Phcenix-like  Rose  and  Met  the  Oc- 
casion— Over  Thirty  Troop  Ships  Loaded  and 
Departed   from  its    Piers — The   Largest   War 
Fleet  ever  Sent  from  One  Port  at  One  Time 


300  The  Life  of 

in  the  Nation's  History — The  Port's  Immense 
Facilities. 

"It  would  take  the  entire  reading  space  of  the 
Marine  Journal  to  describe  the  great  amount  of 
work  done  at  Port  Tampa,  Fla.,  in  getting  Gen. 
Shafter's  army  afloat,  and  the  exhaustive  facilities 
that  were  found  by  the  government  to  exist  there 
available  for  this  purpose ;  in  fact,  only  those  who 
have  visited  the  West  coast  of  Florida  within  ten 
years  past  have  any  idea  of  the  extensive  improve- 
ments that  have  been  made  at  Port  Tampa  by  the 
Plant  System  with  a  view  to  bringing  the  commerce 
of  the  United  States  within  close  communication 
with  the  Island  of  Cuba,  Jamaica,  and  other  nearby 
Gulf  ports.  Millions  of  dollars  have  been  expended 
by  Henry  B.  Plant  and  associates  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  best  known  experts  in  railroad  and 
harbor  improvements  that  could  be  obtained  for  this 
object,  and  the  work  was  near  completion  when  war 
was  declared  with  Spain,  and  the  Island  of  Cuba  be- 
came the  base  of  hostilities. 

"  Fortunately  the  government  was  well  informed 
as  to  the  superior  facilities  already  in  operation  at 
Port  Tampa,  and  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of 
the  Army  was  not  slow  in  recommending  this  place 
for  the  mobilization  of  troops  and  their  prepai'ation 
and  embarkation  to  Cuba  therefrom.  The  vexatious 
delays  caused  by  inexperience  in  handling  such  a 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  301 

large  body  of  men  and  munitions  of  war,  reports  of 
spook  Spanish  fleets,  etc.,  are  more  or  less  familiar 
to  our  readers,  as  well  as  the  detail  of  the  fitting  out 
and  embarking  of  over  12,000  troops  and  their  sup- 
plies which  were  loaded  on  board  over  thirty  trans- 
ports at  Port  Tampa  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 
The  wharf  facilities  at  some  times  accommodated  as 
many  as  thirteen  of  these  troop  ships  strung  along 
end  on. 

"  Let  the  Marine  Journal  readers  imagine  for  a 
moment  that  the  Florida  terminus  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem of  railroads  at  Port  Tampa  extends  out  into  the 
harbor  nearly  a  mile  on  two  solidly  built  piers  of  sheet 
piling,  earth,  and  rocks  between  which  is  a  canal 
or  basin  with  twenty-five  feet  depth  of  water  its 
entire  length,  where  a  fleet  of  ships  can  lie  and  load 
or  unload  from  or  into  cars  night  and  day.  The 
south  pier  is  seventy  feet  wide,  and  has  three  tracks 
laid  upon  it,  twenty  feet  of  this  width  is  set  apart 
for  working  cargo  from  car  to  ship,  and  vice  versa, 
also  a  promenade  its  entire  length,  midway  of  which 
is  the  famous  "  Inn,"  built  out  over  the  water,  where 
passengers  in  transit  to  Cuba  and  Key  West,  as  well 
as  tourists,  can  enjoy  a  cool,  delightful  rest  after  a 
trip  by  sea  or  land.  One  can  hardly  imagine  the 
amount  of  transportation  facilities  afforded  at  this 
immense  terminus,  with  its  mile  in  length  railroad- 
yard,  and  Port  Tampa  is  but  twenty-four  hours  sail 


302  The  Life  of 

from  Havana  by  steamers  of  fair  average  speed.  The 
Olivette,  of  the  Plant  Line,  has  frequently  made  the 
trip  in  nineteen  and  a  half  hours. 

"  Thei-e  is  twenty  feet  of  water  on  the  shoalest 
part  of  the  bar  at  the  entrance  of  the  (thirty  feet) 
harbor  of  Port  Tampa,  and  a  very  small  expense  in 
dredging,  which  is  now  being  arranged  for,  will  en- 
able vessels  to  enter  drawing  twenty-five  feet.  Out- 
side of  the  harbor,  in  Tampa  Bay,  is  a  roadstead 
where  the  entire  naval  and  transport  fleet  of  the 
United  States  could  ride  safely  at  anchor  in  the 
fiercest  hurricane,  thereby  adding  another  valuable 
argument  for  Port  Tampa  as  a  naval  as  well  as  an 
army  base. 

"It  is  a  well-known  fact  to  mariners  who  are 
familiar  with  West  Indian  and  Gulf  navigation,  that 
after  July  15th,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  an  eye  to  wind- 
ward for  hurricanes  up  to  the  middle  of  September ; 
then  more  or  less  heavy  weather  occurs  until  the 
middle  of  March.  And  here  comes  in  another  great 
advantage  in  favor  of  Port  Tampa  as  against  all  other 
ports  in  the  United  States  as  regards  safety  from  the 
elements.  With  the  present  able  weather  bureau, 
and  its  complete  arrangements  for  signaling  the  con- 
ditions of  the  weather  from  all  important  points, 
there  is  not  the  slightest  danger  of  encountering  a 
hurricane  between  Port  Tampa  and  Cuba.  The 
weather  reports  available  make  it  not  only  easy  to 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  303 

avoid  tliein  tbrougli  reliable  information  of  their 
coming,  but  enables  the  mariner  to  prepare  for  them 
in  the  harbor  of  Port  Tampa  or  Key  West  if  there 
is  n't  time  to  reach  Cuba.  If  the  government  is  wise 
it  will  shij)  no  more  troops  to  Cuba  or  Porto  Rico 
this  season  from  north  or  south  of  Hatteras,  as  there 
is  no  need  of  subjecting  them  to  the  risk  of  hurri- 
canes. Our  soldier  boys  should  have  as  short  and 
comfortable  a  sea  voyage  as  possible,  and  that  is  only 
obtainable  in  first-class  shape  from  Port  Tampa, 
following  down  the  west  coast  of  Florida,  always 
under  the  lee  of  the  land  in  case  of  an  eastern  gale 
or  hurricane." 

The  caution  contained  in  the  above  against  storms, 
and  the  desire  for  a  safe  and  comfortable  passage  for 
our  soldier  boys,  will  find  a  tender  response  in  many 
hearts  for  him  who  facilitated  the  embarkation  of 
the  brave  men  going  from  their  native  land  to  fight 
a  foreign  foe. 

TESTIMONTAL  ACCOMPANYING  A  SILVER  SERVICE  PRE- 
SENTED BY  THE  OFFICERS  AND  EMPLOYEES  OF  THE 
SOUTHERN  EXPRESS  COMPANY  TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  H.  B. 
PLANT  ON  THE  CELEBRATION  OF  THEIR  TWENTY- 
EIETH  WEDDING   ANNIVERSARY. 

"  New  York,  July  2d,  1898. 

"  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  B.  Plant. 

"  The  following  officers  and  employees  of  the  South- 
ern Express    Company  ask    that    you    accept    this 


304  The  Life  of 

''SERVICE^  as  an  evidence  of  the  affectionate  re- 
ga/rd  in  which  they  hold  their  honoi'ed  President  and 
his  Wife. 

"  It  has  appeared  to  them  that  tipon  a  day  com- 
memorative of  the  ceremony  which  twenty-five  years 
ago  united  in  affection  your  lives,  they  slwuld  give 
some  enduring  expression  of  the  esteem  in  which  they 
hold  ymi  both. 

"  Tliey  gratefully  recognize  the  wise  direction,  the 
patient  forbearance  and  the  friendly  counsel  of  their 
President,  which  has  done  so  much  to  guide  and  aid 
thein  in  their  respective  spheres  of  duty,  and  they  are 
equally  sensible  of  the  fact  that  under  advancing  years, 
and  multiplicity  of  duties,  only  the  ceaseless  care  and 
affectionate  heed  of  a  devoted  Wife  has  made  this 
possible. 

"  They  beg  that  you  accept  the  testimonial  in  the 
spirit  which  has  prompted  it,  and  with  the  assurance 
that  to  your  '  wedded  love '  is  indissolubly  linked  their 
re&pect,  admiration  and  affection. 

"  H.  Dempsey,  J.  Cronin,  N.  S.  Woodward,  W.  J. 
Crosswell,  C.  A.  Pardiie,  Mark  J.  O'Brien,  W.  A. 
Dewees,  W.  W.  Allen,  F.  G.  du  Bignon,  W.  A. 
Blankenship,  A.  M.  Richardson,  H.  E.  AVilliamson, 
L.  H.  Black,  J.  L.  S.  Albright,  L.  Spaulding,  A. 
Montgomery,  J.  B.  Hockaday,  G.  C.  Crom,  F.  de  C. 
Sullivan,  W.  Buckner,  W.  E.  McGill,  G.  A.  Wilkin- 
son, S.  C.  Hargis,   G.  W.  Bacot,  G.   Sadler,   C.  C. 


Henry  Bradley  Plant  305 

Wolfe,  P.  B.  AVilkes,  W.  J.  Brown,  F.  R.  Osborne, 
O.  M.  Sadler,  C.  T.  Campbell,  V.  Spalding,  H.  C. 
Fisher,  M.  F.  Plant,  F.  J.  Virgin,  C.  Pink,  C.  L. 
Loop,  W.  C.  Agee,  F.  Q.  Brown,  J.  C.  Stuart,  L. 
Minor,  P.  B.  Smith,  W.  B.  Meuzies,  John  Lovette, 
E.  J.  Loughman,  J.  T.  James,  W.  H.  Hendee,  S.  R. 
Golibart,  E.  M.  Williams,  J.  C.  Barry,  W.  R.  Twy- 
man,  E.  C.  Spence,  L.  Kuder,  C.  R.  Smith,  J.  B. 
Gartrell,  M.  Culliny,  A.  Welsh,  G.  W.  Agee,  C.  L. 
Myers,  W.  K.  Haile,  W.  A.  Mehegan,  R.  G.  Erwin, 
C.  H.  Albright,  W.  M.  Shoemaker,  H.  C.  Menden- 
hall,  G.  H.  Tilley,  A.  McD.  Mailings,  J.  W.  Gaines, 
T.  W.  Leary,  C.  G.  McCormick,  W.  W.  Hulbert,  K. 
C.  Barrett,  M.  F.  Loughman,  E.  F.  Gary,  J.  J.  Cross- 
well,  E.  J.  Michelin,  T.  T.  Weltch,  Thomas  Grier, 
R.  A.  Buckner,  H.  M.  Smith,  M.  J.  O'Brien,  W.  S. 
McFarland,  E.  G.  Williams." 

ME.  AKD  MRS.  PLANt's  ACKNOWLEDGMENT  OF  TESTI- 
MONIAL AND  SERVICE. 

"  New  York,  July  2nd,  1898. 

"  EsTEE]MED  Friends  and  Associates  : 
"  Twenty-Jive  years  ago,  this  second  day  of  July, 
was  a  very  happy  one  for  us,  and,  to-day,  on  our 
Silver  Anniversar'y,  we  are  most  pleasantly  reminded 
of  the  occasion  hy  the  unexpected  receipt  of  a  handsome 
token  indicative  of  the  affection  in  which  toe  are  held 
hy  those  who,  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  centuryy 


306  Henry  Bradley  Plant 

have  surrounded  us  as  friends  as  well  as  business 
associates. 

"  The  sentiments  embodied  in  the  testimonial  ac- 
companying the  ve?y  beautiful  '  Service '  are  highly 
appreciated  and  a<;ccpted  by  iis  as  an  evidence  of  the 
sincere  feelings  prompting  your  thoughtful  recollection 
of  this  memorable  mile-stone  in  our  lives. 

"  In  returning  our  deep  gratitude  for  your  remem- 
brance and  Icind  expressions,  we  indulge  the  hope  that 
we  will  have  many  years  together  to  enjoy  the  gift 
lohich  your  genei'osity  has  provided,  and  that  while 
life  lasts  we  may  have  the  friendship  of  those  whose 
acts  in  the  past  and  present  have  brought  them  so  nea/r 
to  us. 

"  Very  sincei'ely, 

"  Henry  B.  Plant, 
"  Makgaeet  J.  Plant." 


PLANT   GENEALOGY 


PREPARED   BY 


G.  S.  DICKERMAN 


THE  PLANTS  IN  GENERAL 


THERE  are  many  families  of  the  Plant  name.  This  will  be 
seen  on  looking  into  city  directories  and  running  the  eye 
over  lists  there  given.  Accounts  show  that  these  families  have 
come  from  several  progenitors  who  arrived  in  this  country  at 
different  times. 

Attention  is  paid  here  more  particularly  to  the  descendants 
of  John  Plant,  of  Branford,  Connecticut.  But  it  may  be  of 
interest  to  glance  at  certain  other  families. 

The  Plants  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  have  occupied  an  honor- 
able place  in  the  history  of  that  city  during  the  last  fifty  years. 
One  of  their  number  *  tells  of  having  traced  their  ancestry 
back  some  three  hundred  years  to  the  County  Palatine,  of 
Chester,  in  England,  where,  about  1600,  were  two  brothers, 
Samuel  Plant  and  John  Plant.  From  the  latter  of  these  they 
are  descended  in  the  following  line  :  John,'  Thomas,"  George,* 
Samuel,*  who  married  Ann  Haigh  and  lived  in  Macclesfield, 

*  Mr.  Alfred  Plant,  of  Webster  Grove,  Missouri,  in  a  letter  of  December 
II,  1897. 


308  Plant  Genealogy 

England,  Samuel,"  who  came  to  Boston,  Massachusetts,  be- 
tween 1790  and  1800,  and  married  there  Mary  D.  Poignaud, 
a  Boston  lady  of  Huguenot  ancestry. 

This  Samuel "  Plant  was  sent  out  by  his  uncle,  Mr.  Haigh,  a 
manufacturer  of  woollen  cloths  at  Leeds,  to  sell  his  goods, 
which  he  did,  with  his  headquarters  at  Boston,  though  he 
travelled  extensively,  going  once  as  far  as  Charleston,  South 
Carolina.  Some  years  later  he  brought  over  from  England 
plans  for  cotton  machinery  and  built,  in  1808-9,  the  first  cot- 
ton factory  in  Worcester  County,  Massachusetts,  at  Clinton. 

He  was  the  father  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  The  sons 
were  George  P.,"  Frederick  William,"  Samuel,'  Alfred,'  Wil- 
liam M.,'  and  Henry,'  who  all  removed  to  St.  Louis,  and  have 
been  identified  with  the  enterprise  and  development  of  that 
city  since  1840.  Of  these  sons  Mr.  Alfred  '  Plant  is  the  only 
survivor. 

Another  family  has  a  representative  *  in  Chicago,  who  writes 
that  his  branch  came  from  Ireland  to  Massachusetts  early  in 
this  century.  His  father's  name  was  Thomas  Plant  and  he 
had  an  uncle  Robert,  who  also  settled  in  Massachusetts. 

Again  the  name  appears  in  the  annals  of  Newbury,  New 
Hampshire,  where  the  Rev.  Matthias  Plant  was  rector  of 
Queen  Anne's  Chapel  from  April,  1722,  till  his  death  on  De- 
cember 23,  175 1,  a  period  of  twenty-nine  years.f  Previous  to 
his  time  the  church  had  been  weak,  but  under  his  ministry  its 
position  became  secure.  St.  Paul's  Church  was  built  in  an- 
other part  of  the  town  from  Queen  Anne's,  and  he  officiated 
there  also.  His  wife  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  Samuel 
Bartlett,  of  Newbury.  No  further  knowledge  of  this  family 
has  been  obtained. 

The  name  occurs  twice  in  lists  of  persons  embarking  from 

*  Mr.  George  D.  Plant,  Principal  of  the  Seward  School  in  Chicago. 
\  New  Eng.  Hist,  and  Gen.  Reg.,  April    1886. 


Plant  Genealogy  309 

England  in  early  times  to  settle  in  the  colonies*  In  one  list 
William  Plant  is  reported  to  have  died  on  a  plantation  in  Vir- 
ginia in  1624.  In  another  Matthew  Plant,  who  was  then 
twenty-three  years  old,  was  enrolled  to  sail  on  the  Assurance 
from  Gravesend  for  Virginia,  July  24,  1635.  Under  the  term 
*'  Virginia,"  in  those  times,  were  included  the  New  England 
colonies  as  well  as  those  in  the  South,  so  that  it  is  quite  sup- 
posable  that  Matthew  Plant  may  have  settled  in  New  England. 

THE  PLANT  FAMILY 

OF    BRANFORD,    CONNECTICUT. 

John '  Plant,  the  progenitor  of  this  family,  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Narragansett  war.  The  Connecticut  General  Assembly, 
in  October,  1696,  bestowed  on  the  "  English  Volunteers  "  in 
this  struggle  a  tract  of  territory  six  miles  square,  to  be  divided 
among  them,  which  was  located  in  New  London  County,  and 
has  since  borne  the  name  of  Voluntown.  In  the  list  of  those 
receiving  these  grants  John  *  Plant  was  numbered  59  in  the 
drawing  of  "  Cedar  Swamp  Lots,"  f 

The  Narragansett  war  ended  in  1676.  Soon  after  this  the 
name  of  John'  Plant  appears  on  the  records  of  the  town  of 
Branford,  January  21,  1677,  when  a  lot  of  two  acres  was 
granted  to  him  on  condition  that  he  should  build  upon  it 
within  three  years.  It  seems  unlikely  that  he  was  at  Branford 
much  before  this  date,  for  the  reason  that  his  name  is  not  in 
the  lists  of  residents  enrolled  in  January,  1676.  Nor  do  we 
find  any  others  of  the  Plant  name  previous  to  this  date.  Sub- 
sequently his  name  occurs  a  number  of  times  in  connection 
with  grants  of  land.J 

*  Lists  of  Emigrants,  by  J.  C.  Hotten. 

f  Soldiers  in  King  Philip's  War,  by  George  M.  Bodge,  page  442. 

X  His  name  appears,  November  6,  1677,  as  a  witness  on  the  record  of  a 


310  Plant  Genealogy 

He  died  about  1691,  as  evidenced  by  the  inventory  of  his 
estate  taken  June  4,  169 1.  The  valuation  of  his  property 
was  ;;^i3o  Ss.  gd. 

The  indications  concerning  his  family  are  not  altogether 
clear.*  He  had  a  son  John,'  concerning  whom  accounts  are 
somewhat  full.  There  was  a  Martha  Plant  enrolled  among 
the  members  of  the  church  in  1704.  She  may  have  been  his 
daughter.  There  was  also  an  Elizabeth  Plant,f  who  may  have 
been  another  daughter. 


payment.  On  February  20,  1683,  he  was  given  six  acres  on  Mulliner's  Hill, 
below  the  road,  on  condition  of  his  improving  it  within  two  years.  On 
February  4,  1688,  he  was  given  six  acres  more  "  on  the  way  hill,"  that  is, 
half  way  to  the  iron  works  at  the  outlet  of  the  lake.  He  was  sworn  in  as  a 
freeman  at  Branford,  April  8,  1690.  His  lot  was  laid  out  below  the  path, 
bounded  on  the  west  corner  by  a  great  white-oak-tree,  on  the  north  corner 
by  a  small  walnut-,  on  the  east  by  a  black-oak-,  and  by  a  walnut-tree  at  the 
south. 

The  original  home  of  the  Plants  seems  to  have  been  near  George  Plant's 
present  residence.  The  old  Plant  house  was  once  used  as  a  hotel  and  again 
as  a  store.  A  tornado  once  tore  down  a  fine  orchard  behind  the  house,  and 
overthrew  a  cider  mill  near  it.  John  ^  Plant,  Jr.,  sold  the  part  of  Mulliner's 
Hill,  which  had  formerly  belonged  to  Thomas  Goodsell,  to  Deacon  John 
Rose,  July  13,  1713,  and  bought  of  John  Goodsell,  in  1727,  three  acres  at 
Mulliner's  Neck. 

*  Orcutt's  History  oj  Stratford  says  that  John  Plant's  wife  was  Betty 
Roundkettle,  and  that  he  was  probably  of  the  Saltonstall  company,  but  the 
authority  is  not  stated. 

f  Elizabeth  Plant  married,  July  23,  1712,  John  Coach,  also  of  Branford, 
who  died  about  1728,  as  evidenced  by  the  Probate  Records.  She  was  ap- 
pointed administrator,  June  14,  1728.  The  inventory  exhibited  June  26th 
following  gives  the  valuation  of  his  property  at  ;^ii8  14J.  \d.  The  chil- 
dren are  named,  Sarah,  about  twelve  years  of  age,  James,  ten,  Elizabeth, 
eight,  Mary,  five,  John,  three. 

Sarah  Coach  married,  September  20,  1738,  Eleazer  Stent. 

Elizabeth  Coach  married,  March  9,  1736,  Jacob  Carter. 


Plant  Genealogy 

CHILDREN  AND  GRANDCHILDREN 
OF  JOHN  2  AND  HANNAH  (WHEDON)  PLANT. 


311 


John  Plant,  Jr. 

baptized  March  3,  1678 

died  February  10,  1752 

married 

Hannah  Whedon 

died  Nov,  5,  1754,  aged  69 


Hannah  Plant 

born  July,  16,  1708 

married 

Abraham  Whkdon 


John  Plant 
born  September  19,  1711 


Jonathan  Plant 
born  July  29,  1714 


James  Plant 

born  November  4,  1716 

died  February  7,  1795 

married  September  22,  1740 

Bathshbba  Pace 


Elizabeth  Plant 

born  August  i,  1720 

married  September  21,  1748 

Josiah  Parrish 


Timothy  Plant 

born  April  6,  1724 

married  February  12,  1745 

Lucy  Parrish 


Abraham  Plant 

baptized  September  23,  1727 

married  (i) 

Hannah  Hoadley 

married  (2) 

Tamar  Frisbie 


Benjamin  Plant 

born  1732 

died  August  11,  1808 

married  (1) 

Lorana  Beckwith 

married  (2) 

Abigail  Palmer 

married  (3) 

Lois  Frisbie 


Reuben  Whedon 
William  Whedon 
Noah  Whedon 
Hannah  Whedon 
Martha  Whedon 
Submit  Whedon 
Sarah  Whedon 
.  Deborah  Whedon 


'  Solomon  Plant 
James  Plant 
Samuel  Plant 
Stephen  Plant 
Lois  Plant 
Ebenezer  Plant 
Sarah  Plant 
Moses  Plant 


Josiah  Parrish 
Elizabeth  Parrish 
Sibil  Parrish 
Hannah  Parrish 
Mary  Parrish 
John  Parrish 


Lucy  Plant 
Hannah  Plant 
Timothy  Plant 
Joel  Plant 
Ithiel  Plant 


Eli  Plant 
Electa  Plant 
Lydia  Plant 
Abraham  Plant 
Anne  PIsnt 
Hannah  Plant 
Elizabeth  Plant 
Rebecca  Plant 
Jason  Plant 


Hannah  Plant 
John  Plant 
Benjamim  Plant 
Anderson  Plant 
Lorana  Plant 
Peggy  Plant 
Samuel  Plant 
Elias  Plant 


312  Plant  Genealogy 

JOHN*  PLANT,  JR.— HANNAH  WHEDON. 

John '  Plant,  Jr.,  son  of  John  '  Plant,  was  baptized  at  Bran- 
ford,  March  3,  1678  ;  died  February  10,  1752,  aged  seventy- 
four  ;  married  Hannah  Whedon,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Hannah  (Barnes)  Whedon,  who  was  born  in  1686  ;  died 
November  5,  1754,  aged  sixty-nine.* 

Their  children  were  born  in  Branford,  and  were  as  follows  : 

*  Thomas  Whedon,  the  grandfather  of  Hannah  Whedon,  came  to  New- 
Haven  with  John  Meigs,  who,  in  1648,  bought  the  lot  on  the  comer  of 
Chapel  and  Church  Streets,  where  the  Cutler  building  now  stands.  Before 
leaving  England  Thomas  Whedon  had  been  bound  to  Meigs  as  an  apprentice 
to  learn  his  art  of  tanner.  He  took  the  oath  of  fidelity  in  1657  ;  married. 
May  24,  1651,  Ann  Harvey,  at  New  Haven  ;  moved  to  Branford,  and  his 
name  appears  on  the  lists  of  proprietors,  January  17,  1676,  as  having  five 
children,  and  an  estate  valued  atjCQ^^  ',  he  died  in  1691,  leaving  a  wife  and 
five  children.  Their  son,  Thomas  Whedon,  Jr.,  was  born  May  31,  1663, 
at  New  Haven,  and  died  in  1692  ;  his  wife,  Hannah  Barnes,  was  the  eldest 
daughter  of  John  and  Mercy  (Betts)  Barnes,  and  was  bom  December  23, 
1670. 

John*  Plant  became  a  member  of  the  church  at  Branford,  September 
2,  1716,  and  Hannah  Plant,  September  21,  1729.  His  will  is  in  the  Probate 
Records  at  Guilford,  Connecticut,  dated  February  29,  1752,  proved  July  7, 
1752.  It  names  his  wife,  Hannah  Plant,  who  was  appointed  administratrix, 
daughters  Hannah  Whedon  and  Elizabeth  Plant,  and  sons  John,  Jonathan, 
James,  Timothy,  and  Abraham.  The  inventory  of  the  estate  places  the 
valuation  at  ;^ioo7  6s.  i}id.  whereof  ;^89i  Sj.  ii^d.  was  real  estate,  of 
which  one  hundred  acres  of  land  was  in  Litchfield.  In  the  distribution, 
which  was  made  December  19,  1752,  Elizabeth  is  called  the  wife  of  Josiah 
Parrish. 

The  will  of  Hannah  Plant  is  also  to  be  seen  at  Guilford,  dated  Novem- 
ber 31,  1752,  proved  December  18,  1753,  presented  by  John  Plant,  execu- 
tor. It  names  sons  John,  Jonathan,  James,  Timothy,  Abraham,  and 
Benjamin,  and  daughters  Hannah  Whedon  and  Elizabeth  Parrish.  The 
distribution  occurred  February  iS,  1754,  when  Hannah  was  called  the  wife 
of  Abraham  Whedon,  and  Elizabeth  the  wife  of  Josiah  Parrish. 

Benjamin's  name  occurs  in  his  mother's  will,  but  is  omitted  in  his 
father's. 


Plant  Genealogy  313 

I.  Hannah*   Plant,  born  July  i6,    1708;  baptized  August  7, 

1715  ;  married  Abraham  Whedon,  who  died  about  1762.* 

II.  John'  Plant,  born  September  19,  171 1  ;  baptized  August 

7,  1715  ;  died  about  1788.! 

III.  Jonathan'  Plant,  born  July  29,  1714  ;  baptized  August 
7,  17 15  ;  living  in  Branford  May  29,  1753,  as  shown  by 
the  "  ear  mark  "  for  his  cattle  entered  on  the  records,  May 
29,  1753  ;  died  before  October  7,  1772.  t 

IV.  James'  Plant,  born  November  4,  17 16  ;  baptized  Novem- 
ber 18,  1716  ;  died  February  7, 1795  ;  married,  September 
22,  1740,  Bathsheba  Page,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mind- 
well  Page,  of  Branford  ;  born  January  25,  17 15-16  ; 
died,  at  Stratford,  January  5,  1803.  Account  continued  on 
page  315- 

*  His  will,  dated  December  22,  1761,  proved  September  7,  1762,  names 
wife  Hannah  Whedon,  sons  Reuben,  William,  and  Noah,  daughters 
Hannah,  Martha,  Submit,  Sarah,  and  "youngest  daughter  Deborah,  that 
still  lives  with  me."  William  and  Noah  were  minors,  and  chose  their  mother 
guardian. 

Reuben  Whedon's  will,  signed  March  20,  1806,  proved  September  23, 
1806,  names  wife  Rachel,  son  Abraham,  of  Bolton,  grandson  Daniel,  son  of 
Abraham.  The  court  appoints  Captain  William  Whedon  one  of  two  com- 
missioners to  divide  the  estate. 

William  Whedon's  will,  dated  February  6,  1821,  names  daughter  Polly 
Page,  son  Captain  Ozias  Whedon,  grandsons  William  N.,  Charles  R.,  and 
Amaziah  H.,  also  five  grandchildren,  John,  Catharine,  Andrew,  Noah,  and 
George,  children  of  son  Edward  Whedon. 

Guardian's  records  of  Amos  Seward,  January  20,  1822,  and  June  14, 
1824,  name  Charles  R.  Whedon,  minor  son  of  Captain  Noah  Whedon,  of 
New  Haven,  and  grandson  of  Captain  William  Whedon,  with  his  brother 
William  N.  Whedon,  and  Lucretia,  the  widow  of  Captain  Noah  Whedon. 

\  His  will,  signed  at  Branford,  March  4,  1755.  proved  March  25,  1788, 
names  his  brother  Benjamin  executor  and  sole  legatee. 

X  The  deed  of  Timothy^  Plant  to  his  son  Timothy*  (page  313)  names 
"heirs  of  Samuel  Baker,  deceased,  assignee  of  my  late  brother  Jonathan 
Plant,  deceased." 


314  Plant  Genealogy 

V.  Elizabeth'  Plant,  born  August  i,  1720  ;  baptized  August, 

1720  ;  married,  September  21,  1748,  Josiah  Parrish,  son 
of  John  and  Hannah  Parrish,  of  Branford.* 

1.  Josiah  *  Parrish,  born  April  6,  1749  ;  married,  December  25,  1770, 

Thankful  Plant,  perhaps  the  widow  of  Samuel  Plant. 

2.  Elizabeth'*  Parrish,  bom  August  3,  1751. 

3.  Sibil*  Parrish,  born  March  28,  1753. 

4.  Hannah*  Parrish,  born  July  il,  1756. 

5.  Mary*  Parrish,  born  June  7,  1759. 

6.  John*  Parrish,  born  May  16,  1762. 

VI.  Timothy'  Plant,  born  April  6,  1724;  baptized  May  17, 
1724  ;  married,  at  Branford,  Lucy  Parrish.  Account  con- 
tinued on  page  ^ly. 

VII.  Abraham'  Plant,  baptized  September  23,  1727  ;  married 
(i).  May  (or  March)  9,  1751,  Hannah*  Hoadley,  daughter 
of  John*  and  Lydia  (Rogers)  Hoadley  (John',  William*); 
born  May  8,  1733  ;  died  April  4,  1755  ;  married  (2),  Jan- 
uary 12,  1763,  Tamar  Frisbie  ;  born  about  1740;  died 
1793,  aged  53.  Children  by  second  marriage,  and  born 
at  Branford. 

1.  Eli*Plant,  bom  August  4,  1763  ;  married,  July  8, 1787,  Sarah  Stent. 

2.  Electa*  Plant,  born  September  27,  1765. 

3.  Lydia*    Plant,    born    December   20,    1767  ;    baptized,    with   the 

younger  children,  May  2,  1784. 

4.  Abraham*  Plant,  born  August  3  or  4,  1770. 

5.  Anne*  Plant,  born  August  3  or  4,  1770,  twin  with  Abraham. 

6.  Hannah*  Plant,  bom  March  14,  1773. 

7.  Elizabeth*  Plant,  born  October  12,  1775. 

8.  Rebecca*  Plant,  bom  March  7,  1777. 

9.  Jason*  Plant,  born  August  il,  1782. 

*  The  will  of  John  Parrish,  the  father  of  Josiah  and  also  of  Lucy  Parrish, 
the  wife  of  Timothy'  Plant,  dated  April  5,  1748,  proved  April  14,  1748, 
names  wife  Hannah  Parrish,  son  Josiah,  two  younger  sons,  Gideon  and 
Joel,  and  three  daughters,  Hannah,  Lucia,  and  Abigail.  In  the  inventory 
his  estate  was  valued  at  ;^47i  loj.  id. 


Plant  Genealogy  315 

VIII.  Benjamin*  Plant,  born  about  1732;  died  August  11, 
1808,  aged  76  ;  married  (i),  April  5,  1758,  Lorana  Beck- 
with,  of  Lyme  ;  born  about  1736  ;  died  March  16,  1789, 
aged  53;  married  (2),  June  17,  1790,  Abigail  Palmer; 
married  (3),  December  6,  1797,  Lois  Frisbie.  Account 
continued  on  page  318. 

Authorities.— Sew  Haven  and  Branford  Town  and  Church  Records  ; 
Probate  Records  at  New  Haven,  Branford,  and  Guilford  ;  Atwater's  History 
of  New  Haven  Colony;  Orcutt's  History  of  Stratford. 

JAMES'  PLANT— BATHSHEBA  PAGE. 

James*  Plant,  son  of  John*  and  Hannah  (Whedon)  Plant 
(John');  born  November  4,  1716;   baptized  November  18, 
1716,  at  Branford;   died  there  February  7,  1795;    married, 
September  22,    1740,  Bathsheba    Page,  daughter  of   Samuel 
and  Mindwell  Page,  of  Branford  ;  born  January  25,  1715-16  ; 
died  January  5, 1803,  at  Stratford,  Connecticut.     See  page  313. 
He  had  a  farm  near  the  head  of  Lake  Saltonstall  and  raised 
a  family,  most  of  whom  left  Branford.    He  was  drowned  while 
crossing  the  lake  on  the  ice,  and  his  farm  was  sold  by  John 
and  Samuel  Plant  to  George  Townsend,  of  East  Haven.    His 
widow  seems  to  have  passed  the  closing  years  of  her  life  with 
their  oldest  son  in  the  home  he  had  made  at  Stratford. 
I.  Solomon*  Plant,  born  May  i,  1741  ;  died  May  20,  1822; 
married  (i),  November  16,  1769,  Sarah  Bennett,  of  Strat- 
ford, who  died  September  15,   1815  ;  married  (2),  No- 
vember 19,  1816,  Mrs.  Esther  (Frost)  Botsford.     Account 
continued  on  page  320. 
IL  James*  Plant,  born  September  10,  1742  ;  living  at  South- 
ington,  Connecticut,  as  late  as  June  15,  1813,  when  he 
deeded  land  to  his  son  Ebenezer ' ;  married,  January  9, 
1772,  at  New  Haven,  Lucy  Judd,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 


316  Plant  Genealogy 

Ruth  (Thompson)  Judd,  of  that  place.  Account  continued 
on  page  321. 

III.  Samuer  Plant,  baptized  February  10,  1745;  married, 
July  2,  1769,  Thankful  Towner,  of  Branford.  He  was  lost 
at  sea, 

IV.  Stephen*  Plant,  baptized  March  8,  1747;  died  before 
February  3,  1808,  when  his  estate  was  admitted  to  probate 
in  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  and  his  widow  was  appointed 
administratrix.     Account  contmued  on  page  322. 

V.  Lois*  Plant,  baptized  April  2,  1749  ;  died  April  21,  1833, 

aged  84,  at  South  Hill,  Onondaga  County,  New  York  ; 
married  Obed  Fellows,  of  Canaan,  Connecticut,  Their 
son,  Ephraim'  Fellows,  was  the  father  of  Lucy'  Fellows, 
who  became  the  wife  of  William  Agur*  Plant.  See  page 
328. 

VI.  Ebenezer*  Plant,  born  October  26,  1751  ;  baptized  De- 
cember 15,  175 1  ;  died  April  or  May,  1796;  married, 
August  17,  1774,  Esther'  Bassett,  daughter  of  Lieutenant 
John'  and  Naomi  (Wooster)  Bassett  (Samuel,*  Robert,* 
Robert,'  John '),  residence,  Derby,  Connecticut.* 

Captain  Samuel '  Plant,  his  son,  died  at  Norfolk,  Virginia, 
in  1815.  His  wife  was  Dorothy*  Gorham,  daughter  of  Isaac* 
and  Sarah  (Atwater)  Gorham  (John,'  Isaac,'  Jabez,*  John,* 
Ralph,"  James'),  born  February  22,  1775;  died  August  4, 
1832,  aged  57.  Their  daughter,  Sarah  Atwater'  Plant  (bom 
December  4,  1800,  died  June  16,  1880),  married  Nathaniel 
Jocelyn,  of  New  Haven  (born  January  31,  1796,  died  January 
18,  1881). 

*  On  December  25,  1780,  he  was  appointed  by  the  town  of  Derby  to  col- 
lect the  assessmenis  to  raise  recruits  for  the  Continental  army. 

His  will,  dated  April  i,  1796,  proved  July  3,  1796,  names  widow  Esther 
Plant,  two  sons,  Samuel  and  David,  daughters  Lucy,  Polly,  and  Sally.  The 
estate  was  appraised  at  ;^3 13  41.  i\d.  and  includes  seventy  acres  of  land 
with  a  house  and  barn,  in  the  parish  of  Great  Hills, 


Plant  Genealogy  317 

VII.  Sarah*  Plant,  born  May  6,  1754  ;  baptized  June  9,  1754. 

VIII.  Moses*  Plant,  born  March  17,  1760  ;  supposed  to  have 
settled  at  Niagara,  New  York,  and  died  there.  He  was 
in  the  Revolutionary  War,  Sixth  regiment,  Connecticut 
line,  Captain  James  Prentice,  of  New  Haven  ;  enlisted, 
April  20,  1777,  for  eight  months  ;  discharged,  January  i, 
1778  ;  also  enlisted,  February  21,  1778,  in  the  regiment  of 
Artificers,  from  Branford,  for  three  years. 

Authorities.— "^evir  Haven,  Branford,  Guilford,  Litchfield,  and  South- 
ington  Town  and  Probate  Records  ;  Branford  Church  Records ;  Orcutt's 
History  of  Stratford;  Orcutt's  History  of  Derby;  The  Tuttle  Family; 
gravestones  in  Grove  Street  Cemetery  at  New  Haven;  private  records 
of  Hon.  Livingston  W.  Cleaveland,  of  New  Haven,  a  grandson  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nathaniel  Jocelyn. 

TIMOTHY'  PLANT— LUCY  PARRISH. 

Timothy*  Plant,  son  of  John '  and  Hannah  (Whedon)  Plant 
(John'),  born  April  6,  1724,  at  Branford;  baptized  May  17, 
1724  ;  married  Lucy  Parrish,  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah 
Parrish  of  that  place.     See  page  314. 

I.  Lucy*  Plant,  born  May  27,  1745  ;  died  February  26,  1825, 

aged  80,  at  Saybrook,  now  Westbrook,  Connecticut  ; 
married,  December  24,  1764,  Daniel  Dee,  son  of  William 
Dee,  of  Saybrook  ;  born  about  1739  ;  died  August  23, 1823, 
aged  84.  Their  gravestone  is  in  the  old  cemetery  at 
Westbrook. 

II.  Hannah*  Plant,  born  March  15,  1747  ;  married,  at  Say- 

brook, Jared  Baldwin,  son  of  Jerjah  Baldwin,  of  Milford, 
where  they  afterward  lived  and  are  mentioned  in  the 
records,  November  30,  1819,  as  occupying  their  house 
with  their  daughter,  Hannah  Bassett.  See  The  Baldwin 
Genealogy. 
IIL  Timothy*  Plant,  born  July  4,  1750  ;  married,  1770,  Mary 


318  Plant  Genealogy 

Ann  Colberth,  who  died  about  1788,  residence,  Litchfield, 
Connecticut.     Account  contituied  on  page  j2j. 

IV.  Joel*  Plant,  born  March  25,  1753.     He  is  supposed  to 
have  died  young. 

V.  Ithiel*  Plant,  born  in  1755  ;  married,  November  20,  1783, 

at  Saybrook,  Connecticut,  Hannah  Denison,  daughter  of 
George  and  Jemima  (Post)  Denison  of  that  place  ;   born 
October  25,  1758.* 
Authorities. — Town  and  Probate  Records  at  Deep  River;  gravestone  at 
Westbrook ;  Early  Connecticut  Marriages,  by  F.  W.  Bailey  ;    The  Bald- 
win Genealogy  ;  Record  of  Connecticut  Men  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  ; 
United  States  Pension  Records  as  given  by  Commissioner  Evans. 

BENJAMIN'  PLANT— LORANA  BECKWITH. 

Benjamin '  Plant,  son  of  John '  and  Hannah  (Whedon) 
Plant  (John  '),  born,  about  1732,  at  Branford  ;  died  August  11, 
1808,  aged  76  ;  married  (i),  April  5,  1758  (by  Rev.  Philemon 

*  Ethan  Plant,  of  Saybrook,  is  recorded  as  in  the  Revolutionary  army, 
from  May  8,  1775,  to  December  18,  of  the  same  year. 

Ethel  Plant  is  also  enrolled  as  enlisting  at  New  London,  May  24,  1778, 
in  the  Third  troop  of  light  dragoons,  and  is  described  as  "  a  cooper,  stature, 
5  feet  8^  inches,  complexion  light,  eyes  light,  hair  dark." 

On  June  5,  1813,  Ethel  Plant  made  application  for  a  pension,  being  at 
that  time  63  years  of  age,  and  a  resident  of  Delhi,  New  York.  The  pension 
was  allowed  for  six  years'  actual  service  in  the  Connecticut  troops  in  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

The  town  clerk  of  Delhi  writes,  January  26,  1S98,  that  no  traces  of  such 
a  person  are  now  to  be  found  there. 

His  marriage  was  by  the  name  of  Ethiel  Plant,  The  various  spellings 
were  no  doubt  due  to  the  unusualness  of  the  name. 

The  home  of  this  family  seems  to  have  passed  from  Branford  to  Saybrook 
soon  after  the  marriage  of  the  elder  daughter,  devolving  on  her  the  care  of 
her  younger  sister  and  brothers.  In  a  similar  way,  after  the  marriage  of 
Hannah  Plant  to  Mr.  Baldwin,  her  home  in  Milford  may  have  become  a 
place  of  frequent  resort  for  her  brothers.  This  would  account  in  a  measure 
for  the  marriage  of  Timothy  to  a  person  who  seems  to  have  been  of  a 
Milford  family,  probably  that  of  Humphrey  and  Margaret  Colebreath. 


Plant  Genealogy  319 

Robbins),  Lorana  Beckwith,  of  Lyme,  Connecticut  ;  born 
about  1736  ;  died  March  i6,  1789,  aged  53  ;  married  (2),  June 
17,  1790,  Abigail  Palmer;  married  (3),  December  6,  1797, 
Lois  Frisbie.  He  lived  in  Branford  and  his  children  were 
born  there.  See  page  315. 
I.  Hannah*  Plant,  born  January  26,  1759  ;  baptized  April  25, 

1759  ;  married,  June  30,  1779,  John  Russell. 
IL  John  *  Plant,  born  December  i,  1761  ;  baptized  January  17, 
1762  ;  removed  to  Seneca  Lake,  New  York  ;  v^^as  twice 
married  but  left  no  children. 
IIL  Benjamin*  Plant,  born  October  i,  1763;  died  1812 ; 
married,  1787,  Lucinda  Potter,  daughter  of  Captain  Ste- 
phen and  Sarah  (Lindley)  Potter  ;  born  April  4,  1767,  at 
Branford  ;  died  June  26,  1848.  They  removed  to  Utica, 
New  York,  about  1795. 

1.  Sally*  Plant,  born  1790;  died  1808. 

2.  Stephen^  Plant,  died  1793. 

3.  Benjamin 5  Plant,  born  April  28,   1794;    died  August  7,   1876; 

married,  April  7,  1823,  Sarah  Mason,  daughter  of  Arnold  and 
Mercy  Mason,  1798-1879. 

4.  James*  Plant,  born  June  16,  1798  ;  died  January  5,  i860  ;  mar- 

ried, November  27,  1833,  Hannah  A.  Mason,  daughter  of  Arnold 
and  Mercy  Mason  ;  bom  1812. 

5.  John'  Plant,  born  June  16,  1789  ;  died  young. 

6.  Mary  Eliza'   Plant,  bom  June  9,   1800;   died  March  i,   1886; 

married,  September  9,  1820,  Roswell  Keeler,  son  of  Timothy 
and  Luranay  (DeForest)  Keeler  ;  1791-1864. 

7.  Frederick*  Plant,  born  April  27,  1810;  died  January  31,  1884. 

IV.  Anderson*  Plant,  born  November  18,  1765  ;  baptized  No- 
vember 24,  1765  ;  was  drowned  in  the  Susquehanna  River 
at  the  age  of  about  25.* 

♦  Anderson  Plant,  of  Branford,  bought  three  acres  of  land  in  Southington, 
October  3,  1787,  and  sold  the  same  to  Thomas  Stow  of  Middletown,  April 
7,  1788.  Witnessed  by  John  Pla.nt.— Southington  Land  Records,  Vol.  ii., 
pp.  302-321. 


320  Plant  Genealogy 

V.  Lorana*  Plant,  baptized  August  30,  1767  ;  married  Henry- 

Garret  and  went  to  Trenton  Falls,  New  York.  Their  son 
Orrin  Garret  was  a  printer,  and  one  of  the  early  mission- 
aries to  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

VI.  Peggy*  Plant,  born  May  26,  1769  ;  baptized  June  4,  1769  ; 
married,  March  23,  1793,  Jonathan  Frisbie. 

VII.  Samuel*  Plant,  born  April  i,  1772  ;  baptized  April  12, 
1772  ;  died  July  29,  1862,  aged  90  ;  married,  February 
II,  1795,  Sarah  Frisbie  ;  born  May  15,  1774  ;  died  August 
25,  1 84 1 ,  age  d  6  7 .     Account  continued  on  page  324. 

VIII.  Elias*  Plant,  baptized  August  7,  1774;  married  (i), 
March  31,  1799,  Ruhama  Hall,  daughter  of  Elias  and 
Ruhama  Hall,  and  widow  of  Thomas  Trowbridge  ;  born 
January  16,  1776  ;  married  (2),  November  10,  1843,  Lydia 
Linsley,     Account  continued  on  page  J2j. 

Authorihes. — Town,  Church,  and  Probate  Records  at  Branford  and 
Guilford  ;  History  and  Genealogy  of  the  Potter  Family,  Part  V.,  p.  6. 

SOLOMON*  PLANT— SARAH  BENNETT. 

Solomon*  Plant,  son  of  James'  and  Bathsheba  (Page)  Plant 
(John,''  John'),  born.  May  i,  1741,  at  Branford;  died,  May 
20,  1822,  at  Stratford  ;  married  (i),  November  16,  1769,  Sarah 
Bennett,  of  Stratford,  who  died  September  15,  1815  ;  married 
(2),  November  19,  1816,  Mrs.  Esther  (Frost)  Botsford.*     See 

page  315- 

I.  Hannah*  Plant,  born  October  25,  1770;  married,  October 

7,  1787,  Asa  Benjamin  ;  born  December  2,  1763. 

II.  Sarah'  Plant,  born  January  5,   1775  ;    died   August    14, 

*  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  enlisted  at  the  age  of 
19,  April  10,  1760,  under  Captain  Jonathan  Baker,  in  Suffolk  County, 
"from  Brandford,  New  England,  wheelwright."  He  served  in  Captain 
David  Mulford's  company.  On  returning  from  the  war  he  settled  in  Strat- 
ford, where  his  children  were  born. 


Plant  Genealogy  321 

1857  ;  married,  September  lo,  1797,  Daniel  Judson  ;  born 
November  24,  1763  ;  died  October  4,  1847. 

III.  Cata'  Plant,  born  December  30,  1777  ;  died  January  16, 
1778. 

IV.  David "  Plant,  born  March  29,  1783;  died  October  18, 
185 1  ;  married,  December  5,  1810,  Catharine'  Tomlin- 
son  ;  born  October  9,  1787  ;  died  June  2,  1835.  Account 
continued  on  page  J2y. 

Authorities. — Rolls  of  Soldiers  in  the  State  of  New  York  ;  Orcutt's  History 
of  Stratford. 

JAMES*  PLANT— LUCY  JUDD. 

James*  Plant,  son  of  James'  and  Bathsheba  (Page)  Plant 
(John,'  John'),  born  September  10,  1742,  at  Branford  ;  died 
May  16,  1814  ;  married,  January  9,  1772,  at  New  Haven,  Lucy 
Judd,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Ruth  (Thompson)  Judd  ;  born 
1742  ;  died  August  17,  1822.     See  page  313. 

I.  Lucy*  Plant,  born  May  14,  1773  ;  died  May,  1863. 

II.  Joseph '  Plant,  born  March  26,  1775  ;  died  March  30,  1803. 
HI.  Rebekah  '  Plant,  born  February  6,  1778  ;  died  September, 

1862. 

IV.  James'  Plant,  born  February  16,  1781  ;  died  March  23, 
1806;  residence,  Harwinton,  Litchfield  records  say  that 
he  left  a  wife,  Nancy,  and  an  infant  daughter,  Laura. 

V.  Sally'  Plant,  born  April   14,    1784;  died   May   23,  1874; 

married,  February  5,  1803,  Zephi  Brockett,  son  of  Amos 
and  Lucy  (Dutton)  Brockett.     See  "  The  Tuttle  Family" 

pag^547- 

VI.  Ebenezer'  Plant,  born  January  10,  1787  ;  died  April  30, 
182 1,  at  Southington,  married,  August  29,  1809,  Lydia 
Neale,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Anna  (Fuller)  Neale, 
of  that  place  ;  born  January  29,  1788  ;  died  February  22, 
1857.     Account  continued  on  page  J2g. 


322  Plant  Genealogy 

VII.   Vesta'  Plant,  born  March  23,  1751  ;  died  January  30, 
1815. 

Authorities. — Town  and  Probate  Records  at  Branford,  Guilford,  New- 
Haven,  and  Southington  ;  gravetones  in  Quinnipiack  Cemetery  at  Plants- 
villa ;  Letter  of  Mr.  F.  H.''  Plant. 

STEPHEN*  PLANT— REBECCA  . 

Stephen  *  Plant,  son  of  James '  and  Bathsheba  (Page)  Plant 
(John,"  John'),  baptized  March  8,  1747,  at  Branford;  died 
before  February  3,  1808,  when  his  estate  was  admitted  to 
Probate  in  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  and  his  widow,  Rebecca 
Plant,  was  appointed  administratrix,*     See  page  ^16. 

I.  Naomi '  Plant,  born  September  2,  1776. 

II.  Jerusha'  Plant,  born  May  17,  1778, 

III.  Orpah'  Plant,  born  July  24,  1780. 

IV.  Stephen'  Plant,  born  June  25,  1782. 

V.  Ruel'   Plant,    born   March    21,   1785  ;  married   (i),    Sep- 

tember 18,  1807,  Phebe  Spinyer  ;  married  (2),  October 
30,  1842,  Hutsah  Williams.  Children  by  the  first  mar- 
riage, and  born  in  Litchfield. 

1.  Isaac*  Plant,  born  August  13,  1808. 

2.  Maryan'  Plant,  born  February  7,  1811. 

3.  Hariot'  Plant,  born  March  10,  1814. 

4.  Stephen «  Plant,  born  January  31,  18 17. 

5.  Jane*  Plant,  born  February  4,  1819. 

6.  David'  Plant,  born  January  30,  1821. 

7.  Phebe*  Plant,  born  September  i,  1823. 

8.  Charlotte*  Plant,  born  July  i,  1826, 

9.  Abigail'  Plant,  born  October,  21,  1828. 

♦  On  May  5,  1770,  he,  with  John  Smith,  also  of  Branford,  bought  of 
Joseph  Pickett  forty  acres  of  land  in  Litchfield,  for  which  they  paid  £i,l. 
Soon  after  this  he  removed  to  Litchfield,  and  on  July  13  following  the  land 
was  divided,  and  he  took  the  north  half.  Here  he  seems  to  have  lived  and 
reared  his  family. 


Plant  Genealogy 


VI.  Rebecca*  Plant,  born  May  21,  1787. 

VII.  Ammi '  Plant,  born  November  5,  1789  ;  married,  De- 
cember 7,  1820,  Mary  Barney,  of  Litchfield,  the  service 
being  by  Rev.  Isaac  Jones,  of  St.  Michael's  Church. 

VIII.  Isaac  '  Plant,  born  March  31,  1793. 

TIMOTHY*  PLANT— MARY  ANN  COLBERTH. 

Timothy*  Plant,  son  of  Timothy'  and  Lucy  (Parrish)  Plant 
(John,'  John'),  born  July  4,  1750,  at  Branford  ;  died  about 
1777  ;   married,  1770,  Mary  Ann  Colberth.*    See  page  311. 

I.  Margaret'   Plant,   born    December  11,    1771;  married    a 

Gleason. 

II.  Timothy '  Plant,  born  January  3,  1773  ;  died  April  7,  1836, 

aged  63  ;  married,  January  3,  1795,  Chloe  Dickerman,  of 
New  Haven,     Account  continued  on  page  330. 

*  He  removed  to  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  about  1772,  the  occasion  for 
which  was  as  follows:  On  June  26,  1734,  his  grandfather,  John*  Plant, 
bought  of  Josiah  Rogers,  of  Branford,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Litchfield  on  the  west  side  of  the  Waterbury  River.  This  land  remained 
undivided  at  the  settlement  of  John*  Plant's  estate,  and  passed  in  this  man- 
ner to  his  six  sons.  Of  these,  Timothy  ^  Plant  sold  his  share  of  one  sixth  to 
his  son  Timothy,*  October  7,  1772,  for  ;i^  17.  A  little  later,  January  13, 
1773,  Timothy*  Plant,  Jr.,  bought  also  the  share  of  his  uncle  James,  which 
had  been  previously  sold  to  David  Wooster.  Then,  May  23,  1774,  he 
bought  of  Asa  and  Harris  Hopkins  two  thirds  of  another  tract  of  one  hun- 
dred acres.  He  afterward  sold  both  of  these  tracts  at  a  considerable  advance 
on  their  cost.  But  having  made  his  home  in  Litchfield,  the  family  remained 
there. 

In  the  Revolutionary  War  he  entered  the  army,  March  2,  1777,  in  the 
Fifth  regiment,  Connecticut  line,  Captain  J.  A.  Wright's  company,  and 
was  reported  missing  at  Germantown,  October  4,  1777-  Tradition  says  that 
he  was  drafted,  and  that  in  the  battle  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in 
"the  old  sugar  house"  at  New  York,  or  in  "the  prison  ship,"  and  died 
there,  no  word  having  ever  come  from  him  to  his  family.  The  births  of  his 
children  are  registered  in  Litchfield,  except  of  the  youngest,  who  must  have 
been  bom  after  he  went  to  the  war. 


324  Plant  Genealogy 

III.  Lucy  Parrish*  Plant,  born  November  6,  1774;  married  a 
Dickinson  and  went  to  the  West. 

IV.  Joel'  Plant,  born  August  22  (or  24),  1776  ;  died  1853,  at 
Meridian,  New  York.     Account  continued  on  page  332. 

V.  Avis'  Plant,  born  1777;  unmarried;  resided  in  Richmond, 

Virginia,  for  some  years  and  died  there. 

Authorities. — Town  and  Probate  Records  at  Litchfield ;  Connecticut 
Soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  ;  Family  Records  and  Traditions. 

SAMUEL*  PLANT— SARAH  FRISBIE. 

Samuel  *  Plant,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Lorana  (Beckwith) 
Plant,  born  April  i,  1772  ;  baptized  April  12,  1772,  at  Bran- 
ford  ;  died  July  29,  1862,  aged  90  ;  married,  February  11, 
1795,  Sarah '  Frisbie,  daughter  of  Joseph  '  and  Sarah  (Rogers) 
Frisbie  (Joseph,*  Joseph,'  John,*  Edward');  born  May  15, 
1774  ;  died  August  25,  1841,  aged  67.  They  lived  at  Bran- 
ford.  He  served  as  a  coastguard  in  the  War  of  181 2.  See 
page32o. 

I.  Anderson'  Plant,  born  January  2,  1796;  died  October  29, 

1826,  aged  30;  married,  December  23,  1818,  Betsey  Brad- 
ley, of  Branford.     Account  continued  07i  page  33^. 

II.  Polly'  Plant,  born  October  16,  1798;  died  April  20,  1800. 

III.  Sally'  Plant,  born  September  17,  1801;  married  Judah 
Frisbie,  a  merchant  in  New  Haven. 

IV.  John  '  Plant,  born  May  19,  1806  ;  died  May  22,  1881  ;  mar- 
ried Angelina  Beach,  daughter  of  Asher  S.  and  Statira 
(Baldwin)  Beach  ;  born  October  9,  1807;  died  January  13, 
1883.     He  was  a  deacon  of  the  church. 

1.  Mary  E.*  Plant,   bom  October   13,    1826  ;  died  September  19, 

1879  ;  married,  November  g,  1852,  William  Norton. 

2.  Anderson  W.*  Plant,  bom  March  21,  1829  ;  died  June  22,  1847. 

3.  Sarah  J.«  Plant,  born  July  24,  1831  ;  died  May  30,  1846. 


Plant  Genealogy  325 

4.  George  W.*  Plant,  bom  March  12,  1833  ;  married,  October  6, 1857, 

Eliza  E.  Lane,  of  New  Haven  ;  born  November  16,  1S32  ;    she 
died  March  17,  1895. 

5.  John  B.'^  Plant,  born  May  5,  1836  ;  died  December  28,  1836. 

6.  Angelina  B.'  Plant,  born  December  24,  1838  ;  died  July  20,  1841. 

7.  Angelina  B.«  Plant,  married,  October  5,  1858,  Henry  T.  Swift. 

8.  Emily  S.*  Plant,  born  August  g,  1842  ;  died  June  11,  1856. 

9.  Elizabeth  R.*  Plant,  baptized  August  9,  1846;  married,  July  12, 

1871,  Edward  A.  Anketelle. 
10.  John  A.^  Plant,  born  April  7,  1848  ;  died  September  16,  1852. 

V.  Mary  R."  Plant,  born  October  9,   1808  ;  died  October  i, 

1825,  aged  17. 

VI,  Samuel  Orin  '  Plant,  born  June  24,  1815  ;  married,  Febru- 
ary 26,  1839,  Mary  Ann  Blackstone,  daughter  of  Captain 
James  Blackstone. 

1.  Ellen  Blackstone «  Plant. 

2.  Sarah  Frisbie*  Plant,  married  Hon.  Lynde  Harrison,  residence. 

New  Haven. 

Authorities. — Town  and  Church  Records  at  Branford  ;  gravestones  at 
Branford  ;  Family  Records  ;  Baldwin  Genealogy ;  Kokehy's  Hi  story  of  New 
Haven  County. 

ELIAS*  PLANT— RUHAMAH  HALL. 

Elias*  Plant,  son  of  Benjamin'  and  Lorana  (Beckwith) 
Plant  (John,^  John'),  baptized  August  7,  1774,  at  Branford; 
married  (i),  March  31,  1799,  Ruhamah  Hall,  daughter  of  Elias 
and  Ruhamah  Hall,*  and  widow  of  Thomas  Trowbridge  ;  born 
January    16,    1776  ;  married  (2),  November  10,   1843,   Lydia 

*  Elias 5  Hall  was  the  eldest  child  of  John*  and  Abigail  (Russell)  Hall  ; 
(John,'  John,*  Jolm  ').  Ruhamah  was  the  only  child  of  his  second  wife,  who 
died  at  her  daughter's  birth.  He  served  in  the  French  and  Indian  War  in 
Colonel  Whiting's  regiment,  under  Lord  Amherst,  and  was  on  duty  at 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point  until  1759.  ^^  settled  in  Cheshire,  Con- 
necticut ;  removed  in  1784  to  Pittsford,  Vermont,  and  died  October  30, 
1821,  at  the  house  of  his  son  Elias,  at  Williston,  Vermont. 


326  Plant  Genealogy 

Linsley.      The    children    were   by   the   first   marriage.      See 
page  320. 

I.  William'  Plant,  born  January  4,   1800;  baptized  with  the 

four  younger  children,  September  30,  1810,  at  Branford  ; 
married  Polly  Beach,  daughter  of  Asher  S.  and  Statira 
(Baldwin)  Beach.     Children  born  at  Branford. 

1.  Anna  Louisa*  Plant,  born  February  14,  1832. 

2.  Alonzo  Austin'  Plant,  born  October  27,  1834;  married,  July  2, 

1857,  Elizabeth  Mary  Hough,  of  New  Haven. 

3.  Edwin  Ezra*  Plant,  born  February  6,  1837. 

4.  Margaret  *  Plant. 

5.  Lucerne  *  Plant. 

6.  William*  Plant. 

7.  Albert  E.*  Plant  married  Bessie  Upson,  of  East  Haven,  and  had 

two  children,  Albert  C.  Plant  and  Mabel  M.  Plant. 

II.  Mary'  Plant,  born  September  3,  1801. 

III.  Thomas'  Plant,  born  April  14,  1804;  died  about  1873  ; 
married  Sarah  Chidsey,  His  will,  dated  April  4,  1867, 
proved  June  26,  1873,  appoints  his  brother  James  execu- 
tor, and  bequeaths  all  his  estate  to  his  sister,  Jane  Maria* 
Plant ;  residence,  Guilford. 

IV.  Edward'  Plant,  born  September  8,  1806;  married,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1831,  Harriette  Jennette'  Street,  daughter  of 
Elnathan'  and  Clarissa  (Morris)  Street  (Nicholas,'  Elna- 
than,*  Samuel,'  Samuel,'  Nicholas')  ;  born  July  8,  1807  ; 
died  June  14,  1866. 

1.  De  Forest  Edward*  Plant,  born  June  27,  1832;  died  March  7, 

1875  ;  married,  June  i6,  1857,  (by  Rev.  H.  W.  Beecher  at  Ply- 
mouth Church  in  Brooklyn),  Harriet  Ely,  daughter  of  C.  H. 
Ely,  of  Hanover,  New  Jersey. 

2.  Harriet  Evelina*  Plant,  born  January  18,  1834  ;  died  January  13, 

1837. 

3.  Marian  Albertina*  Plant,  born  April  i,   1839  ;  died  November, 

1863  ;  married  James  La  Hon. 

4.  Ella  Alexina*  Plant,  born  July  29,  1849  ;  died  1864. 


Plant  Genealogy  327 

V.  Jane*  Plant,  born  March  i,  1808. 

VI.  James  ^  Plant,  baptized  April  28,  181 1, 

VII.  Harriet'  Plant,  baptized  May  23,  1813  ;  married,  Febru- 
ary 28,  1839,  James  Morris. 

VIII.  Julianna'  Plant,  baptized  July  22,  1815  ;  married,  Au- 
gust 6,  1839,  James  T.  Leete. 

IX.  Elias'  Plant,  baptized  June  27,  1817  ;  married,  December 
31,  1848,  Delia  E.  Beach.  He  died,  and  she  married, 
November  24,  1874,  Henry  Doolittle. 

I.  Jane  Frances*  Plant,  baptized  September  3,  1851. 

X.  Jane  Maria'  Plant,  baptized  July  4,  1819. 

Authorities. — Town  and  Probate  Records  ;  The  Trowbridge  Family  j 
Hall  Family  Record ;    The  Street  Genealogy. 

DAVID'  PLANT— CATHARINE  TOMLINSON. 

David  *  Plant,  son  of  Solomon  *  and  Sarah  (Bennett)  Plant 
(James,' John,*  John '),  born  March  29,  1783,  at  Stratford; 
died  October  18,  185 1  ;  married,  December  5,  1810,  Catharine' 
Tomlinson,  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Agur '  and  Phebe  (Lewis) 
Tomlinson  (Agur,*  Zechariah,'  Agur,'  Henry ')  ;  born  October 
9,  1787  ;  died  June  2,  1835.*     See  page  321. 

*  "  He  prepared  himself  for  college  at  the  Cheshire  Academy,  and  was 
graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1804,  after  which  he  studied  law  at  the  Litch- 
field Law  School.  He  was  a  classmate  and  friend  of  John  C.  Calhoun, 
who  was  not  only  with  him  in  college  but  also  studied  law  at  Litchfield. 
In  1819  and  1820  Mr.  Plant  was  Speaker  of  the  Connecticut  House  of 
Representatives,  and  in  1821  was  elected  to  the  Senate,  after  which  he  was 
twice  re-elected.  He  was  Lieutenant-Governor  from  1823  to  1827,  and 
from  1827  to  1829  was  a  member  of  the  United  States  Congress.  In  poli- 
tics he  was  a  staunch  Whig.  Calhoun  when  Secretary  of  State  offered 
him,  for  friendship's  sake,  any  position  within  his  gift,  but  he  declined  to 
hold  office  under  the  dominant  party.  He  was  one  of  the  most  influential 
men  of  his  day  in  political  circles  of  the  State  of  Connecticut." 


328  Plant  Genealogy 

I.  William  Agur"  Plant,  born  November  21,  181 1,  at  Strat- 
ford ;  died  January  29,  1898,  aged  86,  at  Syracuse,  New 
York  ;  married  (i),  April  29,  1832,  Lucy  Fellows, 
daughter  of  Ephraim  Fellows,  and  granddaughter  of 
Obed  and  Lois  (Plant)  Fellows  ;  she  died  in  1883,  after 
a  married  life  of  over  fifty-one  years,  and  he  married  (2), 
September  5,  1886,  Abbie  Healey.* 

IL  Catharine  Tomlinson  *  Plant,  married  John  W.  Sterling, 
son  of  David  and  Deborah  (Strong)  Sterling,  residence, 
Stratford,  Connecticut. 

III.  Sarah  Elizabeth  *  Plant,  married  Lauren  Beach,  resi- 
dence, Marcellus,  New  York. 


*  For  several  years  of  his  early  life  he  was  in  mercantile  business  in  New 
York  City.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  removed  to  Marcellus,  New  York,  and 
engaged  in  farming  until  1872,  when  he  made  his  home  in  Syracuse,  where 
he  became  a  prominent  member  of  the  Brown  Memorial  M.  E.  Church. 

"  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character,  honorable  and  upright,  with  clear 
intellect  and  much  originality,  fond  of  books,  and  well  informed  on  the 
events  transpiring  in  his  country  and  throughout  the  world." 

There  were  six  children  by  his  first  marriage,  two  of  whom  were  Charles 
H.''  Plant  and  Mrs.  W.  R.  Knowles,  who  died  before  him.  The  four  others 
are  Dr.  William  T.""  Plant,  Alfred  D.''  Plant,  and  Miss  Ailda^  Plant,  of 
Syracuse,  and  Mrs.  I.  W.  Davey,  of  Marcellus. 

William  Tomlinson''  Plant,  the  eldest  of  these,  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Michigan  in  i860,  and  began  practice  as  a  physician  in  Ithaca, 
New  York.  Early  in  the  war  he  entered  the  United  States  Navy  as  sur- 
geon, and  continued  till  October,  1865,  when  he  resigned,  and  in  1866 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Syracuse.  This  he  followed  till  about 
1894,  when  paralysis  compelled  him  to  retire  from  active  life.  He  has  filled 
many  positions  of  honor  and  responsibility  ;  has  been  on  the  medical  stafi 
of  a  large  hospital,  doing  duty  there  four  months  in  the  year  ;  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Medical  College  of  Syracuse,  in  which  he  held  the  chair 
of  Jurisprudence  and  Pediatrics,  and  has  contributed  much  to  medical 
journals,  having  been  the  editor  of  one  such  periodical. 

He  has  one  son,  John  W.**  Plant,  who  is  in  the  graduating  class  of  Syra- 
cuse Medical  College  for  1898. 


Plant  Genealogy  329 

IV,  Henry  *  Plant,  married  Eudocia .  He  was  promi- 
nent as  a  business  man  in  Minneapolis,  Minnesota. 

V.  John  David  '  Plant,  died  February  29,  i860,  at  St.  Anthony, 

Minnesota,  where  he  was  in  business. 

Authorities. — Orcutt's  History  of  Stratford;  The  Syracuse  Press  ;  Letter 
of  Mrs.  W.  T.  Plant,  of  Syracuse. 

EBENEZER'  PLANT— LYDIA  NEALE. 

Ebenezer"  Plant,  son  of  James*  and  Lucy  (Judd)  Plant 
(James,"  John,"  John'),  born  January  10,  1787  ;  died  April 
30,  1821,  at  Southington  ;  married,  August  29,  1809,  Lydia 
Neale,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Anna  (Fuller)  Neale,  of  that 
place  ;  born  January  29,  1788  ;  died  February  22,  1857.  See 
page  321. 

I.  Harriett'  Plant,  born  May  29,  1810  ;  died  September  30, 

1816. 

II.  Laura  Ann*  Plant,  born  April  20,  1812  ;  died  January  4, 

1871  ;  married,  June  28,  1831,  Alfred  A.  Hotchkiss. 
I.  Edwin  P.'  Hotchkiss,  a  manufacturer  at  Plantsville. 

III.  Amzi  Perrin"  Plant,  born  July  2,  1816  ;  died  July  24, 
1874;  married  (i),  A.  E.  Shipman,  who  died  April  3, 
1849  ;  married  (2),  March,  1850,  Cornelia  Dakin. 

1.  Adelia''  Plant,  born  June  22,  1S43  ;  died  July  i,  1846. 

2.  Emily  C  Plant,  born  May  4,  1853  ;  died  April  18,  1867. 

3.  William  Perrin  ■"  Plant,  bom  February  8,  1857. 

IV.  Ebenezer  Howard"  Plant,  born  February  25,  1821  ;  died 
January  12,  1891  ;  married,  September  28,  1843,  Hannah 
K.  Ives,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Abigail  (Moss)  Ives  ; 
born  January  6,  1823  ;  died  August  17,  1873. 

I.  Frederick  Howard'  Plant,  born  November  15,  1859. 
Messrs.  Amzi  Perrin '  Plant  and  Ebenezer  Howard  '  Plant 
engaged  in  manufactures  in  the  southern  part  of  Southington, 
which  developed  into  large  industries,  giving  employment  to 


330  Plant  Genealogy 

many  people.     The  village  growing  up  about  these  establish- 
ments received  their  name,  and  is  known  as  Plantsville. 

Au(/iori/ies. —Southmgton  Town  and  Probate  Records;  gravestones  in 
Southington  ;  Trumbull's  History  of  Hartford  County. 


TIMOTHY'  PLANT— CHLOE  DICKERMAN. 

Timothy*  Plant,  son  of  Timothy*  and  Mary  Ann  (Colberth) 
Plant  (Timothy/  John,'  John'),  born  January  3,  1773,  at 
Litchfield,  Connecticut  ;  died  April  7,  1836,  aged  63,  at  New 
Haven  ;  married,  January  3,  i795,Chloe'  Dickerman,  of  New 
Haven,  daughter  of  Stephen  *  and  Eunice  (Tuttle)  Dickerman 
(Isaac,'  Abraham,'  Thomas')  ;  born  July  7,  1773  ;  died  May 
17,1850;  residence,  Litchfield  and  New  Haven.    See  page 323. 

I.  Mary  Ann'  Plant,   born   February   17,   1796;  died   1852; 

married.  May  19,  1816,  Samuel  Westcott,  of  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  died  January  28,  1824. 

1.  Susan'  Westcott. 

2.  Mary  Ann '  Westcott. 

3.  Henry  P.'  Westcott, 

4.  George '  Westcott. 

II.  Benjamin    Dickerman*    Plant,    born    February    8,    1798; 

married,  November  6,  1828,  Maria  Kaigler,  of  South 
Carolina ;  born  December  27,  1805.  He  was  a  book- 
seller in  Columbia,  South  Carolina. 

1.  Caroline  Elizabeth  ^  Plant,  married  Samuel   Rumph  ;  residence, 

Marshallville,  Georgia. 

2.  George  Benjamin '  Plant,  married  Laetitia  McGehee  ;  residence, 

Marshallville. 

3.  Emily  Maria'  Plant,  married  William  I.  Greene  ;  residence,  Fort 

Valley,  Georgia. 

III.  Susan"  Plant,  born  September  19,  1800  ;  died  August  30, 
1801. 


Plant  Genealogy  331 

IV.  Susan'  Plant,  born  October  21,  1802  ;  died  January  20, 
1831  ;  married,  November  6,  1828,  Timothy  McCarthy. 

V.  Caroline'  Plant,  born    January  27,  1806;    died    July  14, 

1879  ;  married,  February  21,  1830,  Fordyce  Wrigley,  son 
of  Edward  Wrigley,  of  England  ;  born  January  25,  1803  ; 
died  October  i,  1846  ;  residence,  Macon,  Georgia. 

1.  Benjamin  Henry'  Wrigley,  married,  January    12,    1864,    Lucy 

Knott. 

2.  Julia  ^  Wrigley,  married,  May  10,  1866,  D.  H.  Peden  ;  residence. 

Griffin,  Georgia. 

3.  Lucia'  Wrigley,  married,  October  31,  1888,  A.  W.  Blake. 

4.  William''  Wrigley,  married  (i),  November,  1866,  Annie  Mellard ; 

married  (2),  Ida  McPherson. 

VI.  Timothy  Henry'  Plant,  born  February  i,  1808;  died 
January  4,  187 1  ;  married,  August  28,  1834,  Sarah  Maria 
Peck,  of  Kensington,  Connecticut,  born  September  14, 
1814.  He  and  his  brother,  Increase  Cook'  Plant,  were 
together  at  Columbia  in  the  store  of  their  older  brother, 
and  from  there  went  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  established 
a  book  business  under  the  firm  name  of  "  T.  H.  &  I. 
C.  Plant." 

I.  Augusta  M.'  Plant,  residence,  Macon,  Georgia. 

VII.  Ebenezer'  Plant,  born  April  28,  1810  ;  died  November 
26,  1876  ;  married  Adeline  Gibbs  Nye,  of  New  Bedford, 
Massachusetts. 

1.  Ida'  Plant. 

2.  Lucy'  Plant. 

3.  Annie'  Plant. 

VIII.  A  child  born  April  8,  181 2,  died  young. 

IX.  Increase  Cook'  Plant,  born  February  27,  1814  ;  died  No- 
vember 16,  1892  ;  married  (i),  July  24,  1838,  Charlotte 


332  Plant  Genealogy 

Walker;  married  (2),  October  2,   1843,  Elizabeth  Mary 
Hazlehurst.     Account  continued  on  page  335. 
X.  A  daughter,  twin  of  Increase  Cook '  Plant,  died  young. 

Authorities. — Families  of  Dicker  man  Ancestry  ;  Private  family  records. 


JOEL'  PLANT— MARY  JORDAN. 

Joel'  Plant,  born  August  24,  1776,  in  Connecticut  ;  died  in 
1853,  at  Meridian,  New  York  ;  married,  November  27,  1800,  at 
Litchfield,  Connecticut,  Mary  Jordan,  of  Woodstock  ;  born 
December  4,  1776  ;  died  in  1846,  at  Peru,  New  York.*  See 
page  324. 

1.  John*  Plant,  born  June  26,  1801  ;  married  twice  ;  a  physi- 
cian at  Hyde  Park,  Pennsylvania. 

*  A  tradition  represents  him  to  have  been  the  son  of  Joel*  Plant,  the 
brother  of  Timothy,''  but  no  records  confirm  this  view,  while  a  number  of 
points  in  his  story  seem  to  identify  him  with  Joel,^  the  son  of  Timothy,'' 
born  at  Litchfield,  according  to  one  entry  there,  August  22,  1776,  and  ac- 
cording to  another,  August  24,  1776.  The  following  account  is  from  his 
son,  Mr.  Lauren  Plant,  of  Cicero,  New  York,  December  25,  1897. 

"  Timothy,  the  son  of  John  Plant,  married  Lucy  Parrish,  settled  in  New 
Haven,  and  was  in  the  bookbinding  business.  Among  their  children  were 
two  sons,  Timothy,  born  July  4,  1750,  who  subsequently  settled  in  Litch- 
field ;  and  Joel,  born  March  25,  1753,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  and  died,  or  was  killed,  on  Long  Island  in  1779,  leaving  a 
wife  and  two  children  in  New  Haven.  A  daughter,  Margaret,  afterward 
married  Benoni  Gleson  and  went  to  Vermont.  Joel  was  born  August  24, 
1776  ;  his  mother  died  when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  and  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen he  was  bound  out  to  work  in  the  bookbindery  that  his  grandfather  had 
established  long  before.  Not  liking  the  business,  he  ran  away,  at  the  age 
of  seventeen,  and  went  west  to  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  River,  where 
he  remained  two  seasons,  returning  to  his  Uncle  Tim's  in  Litchfield  and 
attending  school  in  the  winter,  where  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Mary 
Jordan,  whom  he  married.  They  lived  two  or  three  years  in  Worthington, 
Massachusetts,  then  moved  to  Benson.  Rutland  County,  Vermont,  and,  in 
1837,  to  Onondaga  County,  New  York." 


Plant  Genealogy  333 

II.  Lorenzo*  Plant,  born  April  17,  1803  ;  died  July  2,  1836, 

at  Orwell,  Vermont ;  married  (i),  October  7,  1829,  Louisa 
Hall,  who  died  May  9,  1830,  aged  21  ;  married  (2), 
October  11,  1831,  Harriet  M.  Cook;  born  December  29, 
1812  ;  died  March  11,  1888,  at  Georgia,  Vermont.  (She 
married  (2),  February  13,  1844,  Noah  R.  Parker.) 

I.  Azro  Melvin'  Plant,  born  May  25,  1835;  married,  November  29, 
1864,  Annie  Fairchild,  of  Milton,  Vermont,  born  March  27, 
1846.  He  was  Assistant  Surgeon,  14th  Regiment,  Vermont  Vol- 
unteers in  the  war,  and  served  in  hospitals  at  Washington,  after 
which  he  was  a  druggist  at  St.  Albans,  Vermont.  Residence,  in 
1898,  Milton. 

III.  Alanson  '  Plant,  born  March  28,  1805  ;  died  in  1844  ; 
married  Betsey  Hiscock,  of  Onondaga  Hill,  New  York  ; 
residence,  Kenyonville,  New  York. 

IV.  Althea  Mariah*  Plant,  born  May  7,  1807  ;  died  June  27, 
1862  ;  married  William  M.  Taylor  (died  December,  1850), 
who  had  previously  married  her  sister  Mary,  who  died  ; 
residence,  Dudley,  Massachusetts. 

1.  Mary  P.'  Taylor,  bom  August  il,  1839  ;  died  July  2,  1843. 

2.  William  A.'  Taylor,  bom  about  1841  ;  died  July  20,  1864. 

3.  Martha  O.'  Taylor,  born  January  15,  1843;  died  August  2,  1848. 

4.  Maty  A.''  Taylor,  born  November  2.  1844  ;  married,  October  19, 

1 87 1, Prentice,  Norwich,  Connecticut. 

5.  Helen'  Taylor,  born  July  27,  1846  ;  married  Henry  Holt ;  resi- 

dence, Hartford,  Connecticut. 

6.  Hyram  '  Taylor,  born  July  27,  1846  ;  died  July  22,  1863, 

7.  Annie  Maria'  Taylor,  born  November  2,   1847;  died  July  19, 

1849. 

8.  Lorenzo  P.'  Taylor,  born  December,  1850;  died  March  30,  1851. 

V.  Almira '  Plant,  born  April  30,  1809  ;  died  December,  1891  ; 

married  A.  G.  Wheeler. 

VI.  Mary*  Plant,  born  March  8,  1811  ;  died  1837,  at  New 
Boston,  Connecticut  ;  married  William  M.  Taylor. 


334  Plant  Genealogy 

VII.  Lucy'  Plant,  born  June  26,  1813  ;  died  1843,  at  Peru, 
New  York. 

VIII.  A.  Joel'  Plant,  born  May  15,  1815  ;  died  1872,  in  Cort- 
land County,  New  York  ;  married,  1845,  Margaret  Phillips, 
of  Locke,  New  York. 

1.  Adin'  Plant,  residence,  Binghamton,  New  York. 

2.  Leona '  Plant,  residence,  Binghamton,  New  York. 

IX.  Lauren  P.'  Plant,  born  March  7,  1817,  in  Rutland 
County,  Vermont  ;  died  at  Cicero,  New  York,  January 
29,  1898  ;  married,  February  25,  1836,  Mrs.  Sarah  R. 
Smiley,  of  that  place,  who  died  there  December  5,  1877. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  held  the  offices,  at 
different  times,  of  Town  Clerk,  Constable,  and  Deputy 
Sheriff. 

1.  Byron  '  Plant,  born  April  29,  1839  ;  married,  September  25,  1861, 

Minerva  Saunders. 

2.  Mary  Elizabeth'  Plant,  born  January  18,  1842,  at  Sullivan,  New 

York;  died  February  25,  1891  ;   married,  April  11,  1867,  Job 
Fuller,  of  Syracuse. 

3.  Almira '  Plant,  bom   September   2,    1844.   at  Cicero  ;  married, 

October  6,  1886,  John  S.  Botsford,  of  Clay,  New  York. 

X.  Arunah  H.'  Plant,  born  October  25,  1819  ;  died  Septem- 

ber 5,  1873  ;  married,  April  19,  1848,  at  Maumee,  Ohio, 
Mrs,  Amelia  Lane.  In  1866  he  wrote  to  his  niece  in  Ver- 
mont, "  I  have  not  accumulated  much  of  this  world's 
goods,  but  have  a  pleasant  home  and  am  contented." 

1.  Mary  Sedate'  Plant,  born  December  31,  1848  ;  married,  January, 

1885,  J.  M.  McCann,  of  Toledo,  Ohio. 

2.  Helen  M.'  Plant,  born  September  12,  1850  ;  married,  September  i, 

1880,  Elijah  Lee  Jaquis. 
Authorities. — Letters  from  members  of  the  family. 


Plant  Genealogy  335 

ANDERSON'  PLANT— BETSEY  BRADLEY. 

Anderson  "  Plant,  son  of  Samuel*  and  Sarah  (Frisbie)  Plant 
(Benjamin,*  John,'  John  '),  born  January  2,  1796,  at  Branford  ; 
died  there  October  29,  1826*;  married,  December  23,  1818, 
Betsey  *  Bradley,  daughter  of  Levi '  and  Lydia  (Beach)  Brad- 
ley (Timothy,*  Daniel,'  Isaac,'  Francis '),  born  August  28, 
1799  ;  died  January  20,  1886,  at  New  Haven.  She  married  (2), 
Philemon  Hoadley,  born  March  31,  1797,  at  Southampton, 
Massachusetts  ;  died  January  28,  1862,  at  New  Haven.  See 
page  324. 

\,  Henry  Bradley'  Plant,  born  October  27,  1819  ;  married  (i), 
September  25,  1843,  Ellen  E.  Blackstone,  who  died  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1861  ;  married  (2),  July  2,  1873,  Margaret  Jose- 
phine Loughman,  only  daughter  of  Martin  Loughman  of 
New  York  City.  Account  continued  on  page  336. 
II.  Eliza  Ann'  Plant,  baptized  September  26,  1824,  died 
young. 

Authorities. — Branford  and  Guilford  Town  and  Probate  Records  ;  Tht 
Hoadley  Family. 

INCREASE  COOK'  PLANT— MARY  E.  HAZLEHURST. 

Increase  Cook'  Plant,  son  of  Timothy  '  and  Chloe  (Dicker- 
man)  Plant  (Timothy,*  Timothy,'  John,'  John'),  born  Febru- 
ary 27,  1814,  at  New  Haven  ;  died  July  23,  1883,  at  Macon, 
Georgia  ;  married  (i),  July  24,  1838,  Charlotte  Walker,  of 
Leamingston,  yermont,  who  died  March  12,  1839  ;  married 
(2),  October  2,  1843,  Elizabeth  Mary '  Hazlehurst,  daughter 
of   Robert*  and   Elizabeth    Pettingale   (Wilson)    Hazlehurst 

*  Anderson  Plant's  estate  was  in  probate,  June  13,  1827.  Mr.  Samuel 
Plant  was  chosen  and  appointed  guardian  of  Henry  Bradley  Plant,  who 
with  his  mother,  Mrs.  Betsey  Plant,  were  the  only  heirs. 


336  Plant  Genealogy 

(Robert,'  Isaac,'  Robert'),  born  April  20,  1819,  at  Brunswick, 
Georgia  ;  died  July  23,  1883,  at  Macon. 

Beginning  business  in  a  bookstore  with  his  brother  at 
Augusta,  Georgia,  he  soon  entered  upon  a  banking  business, 
which  he  followed  at  Columbus  and  Brunswick,  and  finally 
at  Macon,  where  his  name  is  held  in  honor  not  only  as  a 
banker   but   as   an   influential,    public-spirited    citizen.     See 

page  331- 

I.  Mary  Hazlehurst'  Plant,  married,  October  6,  1875,  Marshall 

de  Graffenried  ;  residence,  Atlanta,  Georgia. 

II.  Robert  Hazlehurst'  Plant,  born  December  21,  1847  ;  mar- 

ried, July  25,  187 1,  Margaret  Redding  Ross,  daughter  of 
John  Bennett  and  Martha  (Redding)  Ross,  of  Macon. 
He  succeeded  his  father  in  the  banking  business,  and  has 
engaged  in  other  enterprises,  insurance  and  manufactur- 
ing, which  are  highly  prosperous. 

III.  George  Henry '  Plant,  married  Minnie  Leila  Wood  ;  resi- 
dence, Macon,  where  he  is  engaged  in  banking  in  the  firm 
with  his  brother. 

IV.  Elizabeth  Wilson '  Plant,  married  Alonzo  D.  Schofield  ; 
residence,  Macon, 

HENRY  BRADLEY  •  PLANT-  |  ^-ir.K.x^rLo^oZL. 

Henry  Bradley'  Plant,  son  of  Anderson  '  and  Betsey  (Brad- 
ley) Plant  (Samuel,*  Benjamin,'  John,'  John  '),  born  October 
27,  1819,  at  Branford  ;  married  (i),  September  25,  1S43,  Ellen 
E.'  Blackstone,  daughter  of  Captain  James*  and  Sarah 
(Beach)  Blackstone  (Timothy,'  John,*  John,'  John,'  Rev.  W. 
T.')  ;  born  February  21,  182 1  ;  died  February  28, 186 1  ;  married 
(2),  July  2,  1873,  Margaret  Josephine  Loughman,  only  daugh- 
ter of  Martin  Loughman,  of  New  York  City.     See  page  335. 

I.  A  boy  ;  ,  born  ,  died  June  17,  1846,  aged  17  mo., 

4  days. 


Plant  Genealogy  337 

II.  Morton  F.'  Plant,  born  August  i8,  1852  ;  married  Nellie* 
Capron,  daughter  of  Col.  F.  B."  Capron,  of  Baltimore,  Md. 
They  have  a  son,  Henry  Bradley*  Plant,  Jr.,  born  May 
18,  1895. 

Banfield  '  Capron,  born  in  Chester,  England,  in  1640,  In 
1654  he  came  to  America,  to  Barrington,  Mass.  ;  married  a 
lady  named  Callender,  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.  They  had  twelve 
children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  He  died  August  20, 
1752  ;  gravestone  in  Attleboro. 

Jonathan "  Capron,  farmer,  sixth  son,  of  Attleboro,  Mass., 
born  March  11,  1705  ;  married  Rebecca  Morse,  who  died 
August  29,  1772,  (See  gravestone,  Attleboro.)  They  had 
eight  children. 

Elisha^  Capron,  third  son,  married  Abigail  Makepeace,  of 
Norton,  Mass.,  and  resided  at  Attleboro,  Mass.;  had  nine 
children. 

Seth  *  Capron,  first  son,  born  September  23,  1762  ;  married 
Eunice  Mann,  of  Attleboro,  Mass.,  daughter  of  Jesse  Brown, 
of  Cumberland,  R.  I.  They  had  six  children.  Fought  in  the 
Revolutionary  War  ;  died  at  Walden,  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
September  4,  1835. 

Newton  Mann  '  Capron,  first  son,  born  August  24,  1791,  at 
Cumberland,  R.  I.  ;  married  Maria  Brown,  May  29,  1815  ; 
had  two  children. 

Francis  Brown'  Capron,  first  son,  born  May  17,  1816  ;  mar- 
ried Olivia  Royston  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  had  three  children. 

Nellie  '  Capron,  first  daughter  ;  married  Morton  Freeman  ^ 
Plant,  June  23,  1887. 


INDEX. 


Adams  Express  Company,  organized 
March,  1853,  and  April,  1854  ; 
list  of  shareholders,  52  :  in  1861 
this  company  sold  and  transferred 
its  entire  interests  in  the  South  to 
H.  B.  Plant,  54 

Atlanta  Exposition  of  1895,  object 
of,  157  ;  Mr.  Plant's  interest  in, 
and  exhibit  at,  said  Exposition, 
157,  158;  "Plant  Day"  at  the 
Exposition  ;  Mr.  Plant's  seventy- 
eighth  birthday  ;  importance  of 
"Plant  Day,"  159  ;  Plant  System 
described,  160 ;  opening  up  of 
Florida  by  this  System,  161  ;  pur- 
chase of  railroads  ;  extending  the 
System  ;  Plant  Investment  Com- 
pany, 161,  162  ;  purchase  of  rail- 
roads and  establishment  of  steam- 
boat lines,  1 61-163  ;  steamship 
line  to  Canada,  164  ;  Exposition 
described  by  the  press  ;  various 
newspaper  accounts,  221-263  ; 
Atlanta  Exposition's  recognition 
of  Mr.  Plant's  services  to  the  Ex- 
position, 253  ;  he  is  appreciated, 
feasted,  and  honored,  254  ;  P'lor- 
ida's  truest  friend,  254 

Blackstoi  e  family  :  William  Blax- 
ton  on:y  one  in  State  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  lived  in  wilderness 
among  wild  beasts  and  savage 
men  ;  Boston  Common  ;  Black- 
stone's  beautiful  character,  23 : 
Captain  Blackstc  n,  was  father  of 


Mr.  Plant's  first  wife ;  his  son 
Timothy's  gift  of  a  library  (me- 
morial to  his  father) ;  his  educa- 
tion and  successful  career,  26,  27  : 
history  of  Blackstone  family  in 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and 
Branford,  Connecticut,  29,  30 ; 
five  generations  lived  and  died  on 
the  old  family  farm  in  Branford  ; 
James  a  strong  character  in  pol- 
itics and  patriotic  service  ;  Tim- 
othy, his  son,  donor  of  library, 
31-33 :  Ellen  Elizabeth,  second 
daughter  of  James  Blackstone, 
married  Henry  B.  Plant  ;  Sir 
William  Blackstone,  author  of 
Law  Commentaries,  was  fifth 
cousin  of  James  Blackstone,  34 

Board  of  Trade,  Savannah,  resolu- 
tions, 221  ;  Mr.  Wiley's  address, 
222  ;  Mr.  Plant's  acknowledg- 
ment, 226 

Branford,  Connecticut,  purchased 
from  Indians  in  1638  ;  first  set- 
tled, 1644,  by  people  from  New 
Haven,  15  :  first  church;  danger 
from  Indians  ;  records  of;  colony 
from,  16  :  John  Plum  first  town 
clerk;  resembles  Harlem,  N.  Y.,  in 
customs,  2  :  second  church  built,  its 
architecture,  seating,  etc.,  17  ;  its 
pulpit ;  foot  stoves,  i8  :  Rev.  Tim- 
othy Gillett,  its  pastor,  taught  an 
academy  also ;  strained  relations 
with  his  congregation,  ig  :  he  and 
wife  buried  at  Branford,  20 ;  this 


339 


3-iO 


Index 


Branford,  Connecticut — Continued 
town  rendered  patriotic  service  in 
Revolution,    20,    21  ;    once  ship- 
building flourished;  seaport  town  ; 
seat  of  colonial  governor,  22 

Bullock,  Ex-Governor  :  description 
of  H.  B.  Plant,  99-101 

Canals  :  Erie  ;  Suez,  276 

Changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
configuration  of  the  globe  during 
Mr.  Plant's  lifetime,  264-269 

Cotton  States,  development  due 
largely  to  H.  B.  Plant,  165,  248- 
251 

Cuba  :  scenery ;  architecture,  Moor- 
ish, Saxon,  and  Doric  ;  Morro  Cas- 
tle ;  Santa  Catalina  warehouses  ; 
mail  service  by  the  Plant  line  of 
steamers,  114-116 

Duelling  once  legalized,  275 

Engineering  skill,  great  achieve- 
ments of,  279 

England's  bad  laws ;  favored  the 
rich  ;  severe  in  punishing  crime  ; 
cruel  treatment  of  prisoners,  271, 
272  :  war  barbarities,  inhuman 
treatment  of  soldiers,  272,  273  ; 
educational  progress,  275 

Frisbee  family,  sketch  of  ;  Edward 
Ebenezer;  Elisha;  Professor  Levi ; 
James  ;  Richard  ;  John  ;  Joseph  ; 
President  Edward  S.,  of  Wells 
College  ;  O.  L.  Frisbee,  4-7 

Nineteenth  century  :  demonstration 
at  its  beginning,  269,  270 ;  polit- 
ical and  social  condition  of 
France,  270  ;  Napoleon's  bad  and 
good  influence  on  Europe,  271 

Penny  postage  originated,  275 
Plant,  A.   P.,  his  industry,  religion, 

and  success  in  life,  1-2 
Plant,    David,    2  ;    education    and 

career,  3 


Plant,  Henry  Bradley  :  birth  and 
parentage,  i  ;  descended  from 
J.  Frisbee,  a  major  in  Washing- 
ton's army,  4  ;  right  to  join  the 
"  Sons  of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion," 13  ;  the  Plants  settled  in 
Branford  over  two  hundred  years 
ago  ;  their  descendants  still  own 
the  lands  of  the  first  settlers  ;  An- 
derson Plant,  father  of  Henry 
B.,  35  :  died  when  Henry  was  six 
years  old,  36  ;  death  of  father's 
sister,  and  also  Henry's  sister ; 
Henry's  first  recollections  of  his 
mother,  36  :  enduring  and  tender 
impressions  of  an  hour  ;  poem,  37  ; 
poet's  mother,  38  ;  the  boy 
Henry's  first  day  at  school,  38  ; 
his  courage  fails  him,  39  ;  diffi- 
dent all  his  life,  39  ;  his  mother's 
second  marriage,  40  ;  moved  from 
Branford  to  Martinsburg  ;  lived 
part  of  the  time  there  with  mother 
and  stepfather,  and  part  with 
grandmother  Plant  at  Branford, 
40  :  here  he  was  thrown  from  a 
plow  horse  and  badly  injured, 
40,  41  ;  testimony  of  A.  P.  B., 
"  one  of  the  noblest  and  best  of 
men,"  41  ;  parents  moved  to  New 
Haven,  41  ;  declined  grandmoth- 
er's offer  of  a  course  in  Yale  Col- 
lege, 41;  studies  under  Rev.  Gillett 
and  John  E.  Lovell,  42  ;  his  first 
attempts  at  business  did  not  suc- 
ceed, 42  ;  in  1837  began  as  cap- 
tain's boy  on  New  York  and 
New  Haven  line  of  steamers,  42  ; 
manly  boy,  42,  43  ;  first  experi- 
ences in  express  business,  43  ;  it 
was  hard  at  first,  but  improved 
after  a  time,  44  ;  his  development 
of  Southern  Express,  44  ;  enlarge- 
ment of  responsibility  by  addition 
of  railroads,  steamship  lines,  and 
hotels,  45  ;  Captain  Stone's  fond- 
ness for  young  Plant,  45  ;  marries 
Miss  Blackstone  in  1S42  ;  first 
child  died,  aged  eighteen  months  ; 
second    son,     Morton     Freeman, 


Index 


341 


Plant,  Henry  Bradley — Continued 
now  associated  with  his  father, 
45  :  removes  from  New  Haven 
to  New  York ;  is  employed  by 
Beecher  Express  Co.,  46  :  next 
by  Adams  Express  Co.,  46  ;  his 
mother  banked  his  savings,  46  ; 
bought  some  New  Haven  bank 
stock,  which  he  still  owns,  46  ; 
buys  a  pew  in  a  new  church,  46  ; 
stepfather  died  at  New  Haven  in 
1862  or  1S63  ;  failure  of  his  wife's 
health  takes  him  to  Florida  in 
1853  ;  the  journey  took  eight  days 
by  three  different  steamers,  47  : 
Mrs.  Plant's  improved  health  and 
return  to  New  York,  47  ;  landing 
at  Jacksonville,  and  romantic  ex- 
periences while  in  Florida,  48  ; 
lost  their  way  in  the  woods  five 
miles  from  boarding-house  ;  sail 
in  a  "  dug-out,"  48  :  drive  in  a 
buggy  ;  Indian  girl,  49  :  board- 
ing at  the  Judson  Hotel,  New 
York  ;  Captain  Stone  leaves  his 
son  in  Mr.  Plant's  care  ;  Plant  re- 
turns South  on  account  of  wife's 
failing  health  ;  appointed  super- 
intendent of  Harnden's  Express, 
at  Savannah,  51  :  appointed  su- 
perintendent of  Adams  Express 
Company,  1854,  52  ;  large  devel- 
opment of  the  company  under  his 
superintendence ;  difficulty  of  the 
work,  53  :  extent  of  business  of 
the  Southern  and  Texas  Express 
Companies,  of  which  Mr.  Plant 
is  president,  54  ;  formed,  and  be- 
came president  of.  Southern  Ex- 
press Co.  in  1S61,  55  ;  death  of 
wife  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  February 
28,  1 861  ;  remains  afterward  re- 
moved to  Branford,  Conn.,  55  ; 
buys  a  slave,  who  proves  a 
good  nurse  to  Mr.  Plant,  58  ; 
impaired  health,  and  change  of 
climate  ordered  by  doctor  ;  pass 
from  President  Davis  to  pass 
through  Confederate  lines  at  any 
point,  59 :  goes  to  Bermuda,  Hali- 


fax, and  Montreal  ;  son  Morton 
brought  to  him  ;  visits  his  mother 
at  New  Haven,  Conn.  ;  in  fall 
sails  for  Liverpool  ;  a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land,  59  :  goes  to  Paris  ; 
courtesy  of  French  officials  in 
passport  ;  visits  Rome,  Naples, 
Leghorn,  Barcelona,  Milan,  and 
Venice,  60  :  travelled  in  Switzer- 
land, 60,  61  ;  returned  by  way  of 
Canada,  and  was  in  New  York 
when  President  Lincoln  was  as- 
sassinated, 61  ;  his  second  mar- 
riage and  trip  to  Europe  in  1873, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  mother, 
and  son,  61  ;  his  third  visit  to 
Europe,  18S9;  represented  the 
United  States  as  juror  in  Class 
Six,  at  the  Paris  Exposition,  61  : 
medals  for  Plant  System,  diploma 
to  Mr.  Plant,  and  many  courtesies 
extended,  6r  ;  his  busy  life  in 
Augusta ;  difficulties  of  express 
work  caused  by  the  war ;  brave- 
ly met  and  adjusted,  62  :  hotel 
life  in  Augusta  ;  letter  of  a  friend, 
63  :  his  health  fails,  64  ;  re- 
wards a  kindness  done  to  his 
wife  and  child  thirty-six  years 
ago.  65  ;  his  second  wife  Miss 
Loughman  ;  her  ancestors  ;  her 
interest  and  impress  on  some 
achievements  of  the  System,  67: 
Mr.  Plant's  intuitive  knowledge 
and  keen  insight  illustrated, 
68,  6g  ;  after-dinner  speeches, 
Tampa  Board  of  Trade  banquet, 
70-72 ;  Florida  Mr.  Plant's  hobby  ; 
banquet  given  him  at  Ocala,  in 
iSg6,  at  Ocala  Hotel, S7,  8S:  his  re- 
ply to  many  addresses  of  welcome 
on  the  subject,  "  The  Plant  Sys- 
tem," 88-94  ;  reception,  excursion, 
and  banquet  given  Mr.  Plant  and 
friends  by  the  mayor  and  leading 
citizens  of  Leesburg,  95  ;  recep- 
tion next  day  at  Eustis,  95  ;  his 
words  of  cheer  to  the  people  who 
had  suffered  great  loss  from  the 
freeze  of  the  previous  winter  de- 


342 


Index 


Plant,  Henry  Bradley — Continued 
stroying  their  orange  groves,  96  ; 
their  grateful  appreciation  of  his 
visit,  96  ;  honesty,  importance  of ; 
testimonies  to  this  quality  of  his 
character,  97,  98  :  his  power  and 
influence  over  employees  and  as- 
sociates, 99 ;  Ex-Gov.  Bullock's 
description  of  Mr.  Plant's  ability, 
fidelity,  and  gentlemanly  charac- 
ter, 99,  100  ;  industry  and  power  of 
endurance,  102-104  ;  character 
and  manner  of  answering  his 
large  mail,  102-104 ;  missionary 
letter  from  Japan,  103  ;  his  pri- 
vate car ;  comfort,  elegance  of, 
103  ;  olddarkie  "shining up  100," 
104 ;  keen  intuition,  and  great 
power  of  self-control.  105  ;  calm, 
quiet  spirit,  kindly  nature,  and  effi- 
cient performance  of  all  he  does, 
105  ;  testimony  of  an  employee, 
of  respect  and  appreciation  of  Mr. 
Plant's  character  and  work  for  the 
South,  105,  106  ;  his  calm  and 
kindly  spirit  saved  him  the  con- 
suming force  of  friction  which 
grinds  some  men,  106  ;  not  a  pes- 
simist or  recluse  ;  loves  music  and 
social  life,  107  :  medical  benefac- 
tor, 107,  108  ;  much  pain  saved 
by  medical  progress,  loS ;  Mr. 
Plant's  share  in  alleviating  suffer- 
ing, 109  ;  testimony  of  physicians 
to  healthfulness  of  Florida  for  in- 
valids, no;  Mr.  Plant  facilitates 
travel,  and  provides  hotels  health- 
ful and  luxurious,  111-113  ;  fur- 
nishes comfortable  transit  from 
Florida  to  Cuba  and  Jamaica  ; 
press  notices  of  Mr.  Plant  and 
his  philanthropic  work  for  the 
South  in  railroads,  steamship  lines, 
hotels,  etc.,  121,  122;  promoted 
orange-growing  by  the  facilities 
afforded  for  getting  the  fruit  soon 
and  safe  to  market,  123  ;  railroads 
induced  many  people  to  settle  in 
the  South,  124  ;  various  railroads 
bought,    built,   and   combined  in 


the  Plant  System,  126  ;  steamer 
Alascotte,  elegant  and  comforta- 
ble, 127  ;  railroad  topics  ;  notes, 
characteristics,  and  success  of  his 
life,  128  :  largely  a  pioneer  in  his 
work  of  opening  up  the  South, 
131  ;  the  Plant  Investment  Com- 
pany's president,  132  ;  his  palatial 
residence  in  New  York  City,  132  ; 
never  speculates  in  Wall  Street, 
133  ;  analysis  of  his  disposition, 
temper,  spirit,  and  pleasant  man- 
ner, 133,  134;  Home  Journal; 
Ocala  Evening  Star  ;  similar  de- 
scriptions, 134-140  :  his  close  and 
constant  contact  with  the  Plant 
System,  141 ;  notes  of  his  voyage 
from  New  York  to  Key  West, 
142-146  ;  also  from  Port  Tampa 
to  Jamaica  ;  attentions  of  dis- 
tinguished people,  146 :  Lady 
Blake's  garden  party  at  King's 
House  on  February  ist,  146,  147  ; 
entertainment  and  enjoyment  at 
Jamaica,  147-149  ;  his  economi- 
cal management  of  the  Plant  Sys- 
tem, 150;  riding  in  a  baggage- 
car  saw  expressman  handle  care- 
lessly a  box  marked  ' '  glass,"  etc. ; 
gentle  rebuke  ;  saved  the  man 
from  discharge  by  superior  officer, 
152,  153  :  generous  treatment  of 
an  honored  employee,  153;  hor- 
rors of  strikes  contrasted  with 
"  Plant  Day  "  at  Atlanta  Exposi- 
tion in  1896,  153  ;  spent  over  forty 
years  of  his  life  in  developing  the 
South,  166  ;  eulogies  on  his  char- 
acter and  work,  166-168  ;  "  Lov- 
ing Cup  "  and  other  presentations, 
169-178  ;  Mr.  Plant's  response, 
178-181  ;  programme  of  "  Plant 
Day "  at  Atlanta  Exposition, 
204,  205  ;  ringing  of  the  "  Lib- 
erty Bell,"  206  ;  services  at  the 
Auditorium  ;  enthusiastic  recep- 
tion, 207  ;  music  and  speeches, 
208-210 ;  Mayor  King  and  others, 
210-212  ;  Mr.  Plant's  response, 
212-217;  resolutions,  complimen- 


Index 


343 


Plant,  Henry  Bradley — Continued 
tary,   217-220  ;  Judge  Falligant's 
speech,  220-221 

Profanity  and  drunkenness  lessened, 
275 

Railroads  :  waste  of  railroad  strikes, 

150  ;  losses  to  employers  and  em- 
ployed, 150,  151  ;  damage  to  com- 
merce, demoralization  of  labor,  in- 
convenience and  losses  to  the  pub- 
lic, 1 5 1 ;  no  strikes  on  Plant  System, 

151  ;  due  to  President  Plant,  152  ; 
strikes  contrasted  with  "Plant 
Day  "  at  Atlanta  Exposition,  153  ; 
"  Plant  Day"  as  described  by 
employees  of  the  System,  154; 
introduction  to  this  description, 
154-156  ;  railroads,  introduction 
of  in  England,  and  United  States, 
277  ;  Edward  Entwistle  ran  the 
first  train  in  England,  came  to 
this  country,  277  ;  railroad  mile- 
age in  the  United  States  increased 
from  three  miles  to  173,  453  in  Mr. 
Plant's  lifetime,  27S  ;  first  steam, 
ship  that  crossed  the  Atlantic ; 
first  regular  line  established,  278 

Southern  Express  Company  formed, 
1S61,  54,  55  ;  its  relations  to  and 
services  for  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy ;  given  the  custody  of  all 
government  funds,  it  collected 
tariffs,  and  had  soldiers  detailed 
for  its  service,  56 ;  President 
Davis'  proclamation  for  all  non- 
citizens  of  Confederacy  to  leave 
its  bounds  ;  permission  given  Mr. 
Plant  to  remain  and  conduct 
express  business,  57 :  generous 
service  of  the  company  to  soldiers 
in  the  war,  65-66  ;  presentation  of 
silver  service  by  the  company  to 
its  president,  66  ;  Southern  de- 
velopment due  largely  to  H.  B. 
Plant,  165  ;  history  of  the  com- 
pany, 233-236  ;  the  company's 
building  and  exhibit  on  the  fair 
grounds,  236 ;    reception    in    this 


building  to  Mr.  Plant  and  friends, 
237,  238  ;  thanks  tendered  the 
press,  239 ;  telegrams  and  con- 
gratulations, 239-241  ;  honors 
to  Mr.  Plant,  243  ;  list  of  em- 
ployees present,  245  ;  sketch  of 
Mr.  Plant  published  in  Atlanta 
Chronicle,  247-248  ;  slavery  abol- 
ished, 273 

Tampa,  progress  of,  70-72  ;  speech 
of  Mr.  Plant,  73,  74  ;  growth  of 
Tampa,  Mr.  Plant's  share  in  its 
growth,  74,  75  ;  cigar-making  in- 
dustry, 76  ;  phosphate  mines,  76  ; 
the  town  as  Mr.  Plant  found  it  in 
1885,  77  ;  description  of  the  great 
hotel,  78  ;  grounds,  80  ;  descrip- 
tion of  Tampa,  streets,  buildings, 
water  supply,  brick-making,  81  ; 
population,  character  of ;  Span- 
iards, Cubans,  colored,  Americans, 
81-82  :  Ybor  City,  its  tobacco  fac- 
tories, 82-83 ;  rapid  increase  of 
population  and  wealth,  83  ;  colored 
people  thrifty  and  well-to-do,  84  ; 
own  their  homes,  have  schools, 
churches,  and  are  respected  by 
their  white  neighbors,  85  ;  Port 
Tampa,  its  inn,  or  hotel,  open  all 
the  year,  85  ;  good  fishing,  bass, 
tarpon  or  silver  king,  85  ;  Tam- 
pa's boards  of  trade,  health,  and 
education,  86;  Tampa  Bay  Hotel, 
— described  by  \V.  C.  Prime,  183- 
186  ;  also  by  Henry  G.  Parker, 
187-192 

Tampa  Bay,  De  Soto's  dream,  Alad- 
din's Lamp,  192-195  ;  descriprion 
of  the  Palace  Hotel,  architecture, 
furniture,  196-203 

Tampa's  historical  interest:  De 
Soto  landed  here  on  May  25, 
J 539,  discovers  the  Mississippi 
River  afterwards,  191  ;  Navarez 
obtains  grant  of  land  from  Charles 
V.  of  Syain,  191 

Temperance  societies  formed,  273- 
275 

Tunnels,  279,  280 


344 


Index 


Varied  progress  :  steel  pens,  steam- 
ships, iron,  lucifer  matches, 
kerosene  oil  used,  machine 
sewing,  agriculture,  280  ;  Mr. 
Plant  on  roof  of  office  in  New 
York  noting  progress,  283  ;  sani- 
tary progress,  life  lengthened  by 
it,  282  ;  territorial  extension  of 
our  country,  increase  of  wealth, 
rapid  growth  of  cities,  283-284  ; 
philanthropic  and  Christian  prog- 
ress ;  higher  education,  better 
care  of  the  insane,  aged,  orphans, 
sailors,  neglected  children,  sea- 
men, and  others  by  societies,  285, 
386  ;      conventions     for     mutual 


counsel  in  reform  and  charitable 
work,  clubs  multiplied,  social, 
scientific,  286,  287  ;  female  edu- 
cation, co-education,  287  ;  homes 
for  all  classes  of  dependent  human 
beings,  288  ;  progress  of  medical 
science,  lessening  disease  and  suf- 
fering, 288-290 

World's  Fairs,  International,  291; 
arbitration;  better  Christian  spirit, 
among  all  who  bear  the  name, 
291  :  Electrial  Exposition,  292  ; 
message  round  the  world  in  55 
minutes,  292,  293 


ADDENDUM. 

GENEALOGY  OF  BETSEY  BRADLEY,  WIFE  OF  ANDERSON 
PLANT.  FATHER  OF  HENRY  BRADLEY  PLANT. 


Nathaniel  Beach,  son  of  John  Beach,  born  1662,  mar-  ^ 
ried  Sarah  Porter,  1686. 

Their  son,  Ephraim  Beach,  married  Sarah  Patterson, 
1712. 

Their  son,  Andrew  Beach,  born  1713,  married  Lucy 
Smith,  1735. 

Their  son,  Ebenezer  Beach,  married  Abigail  Linsley, 
1775- 

Their  daughter,  Lydia  Beach,  married  Levi  Bradley, 
1798. 

Their  daughter,   Betsey  Bradley,  married  Anderson   Plant, 
father  of  Henry  Bradley  Plant. 


344 


Index 


Varied  progress  :  steel  pens,  steanv- 
ships,  iron,  lucifer  matches, 
kerosene  oil  used,  machine 
sewing,  agriculture,  280  ;  Mr. 
Plant  on  roof  of  office  in  New 
York  noting  progress,  283  ;  sani- 
tary progress,  life  lengthened  by 
it,  2S2 ;  territorial  extension  of 
our  country,  increase  of  wealth, 
rapid  growth  of  cities,  283-284  ; 
philanthropic  and  Christian  prog- 
ress ;  higher  education,  better 
care  of  the  insane,  aged,  orphans, 
sailors,  neglected  children,  sea- 
men, and  others  by  societies,  285, 
286  ;      conventions     for     mutual 


counsel  in  reform  and  charitable 
work,  clubs  multiplied,  social, 
scientific,  286,  287  ;  female  edu- 
cation, co-education,  287  ;  homes 
for  all  classes  of  dependent  human 
beings,  288  ;  progress  of  medical 
science,  lessening  disease  and  suf- 
fering, 288-290 

World's   Fairs,    International,    291; 

arbitration;  better  Christian  spirit, 

among   all   who   bear   the  name, 
.   291  :   Electrial    Exposition,    292  ; 

message   round  the  world   in    55 

minutes,  292,  293 


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